Valve has been ordered to hand over its sales data to Apple.
As reported by Law360, via GamesIndustry.biz, Judge Thomas S. Hixon has ruled that the sales and pricing stats from the Steam owner are relevant to Apple’s case with Epic Games.
Therefore, Valve is to provide the iOS creator with data from across 436 games on its PC-based storefront. However, instead of six years worth of data, which Apple originally asked for, the company is to provide four years worth.
Initially, Valve denied Apple’s request, with the tech behemoth first asking for the data back in November 2020. Despite company representatives meeting on multiple occasions, the pair could not come to an agreement.
Hand it over
As a result, the pair filed a joint discovery letter brief to the court. Apple insisted Valve had information relevant to its feud with Epic.
However, Valve did not share the same view, insisting it is not a “key figure” in the ongoing dispute. The company doesn’t compete in the mobile games market, which is the sector in which Epic and Apple are having their fight.
Unfortunately for Valve, Hixon does not share this sentiment though he did say, “Apple has salted the earth with subpoenas, so don’t worry, it’s not just you.”
Ongoing battle
The battle between Epic Games and Apple began in August 2020 due to the removal of Fortnite from the App Store.
It was removed after the battle royale was given a new payment option, one that would circumvent the 30 per cent commission Apple takes for all purchases in its marketplace.
Epic did not take this decision lying down. Instead, the games giant decided to sue Apple, thus beginning a bitter feud that has seen an outside company be dragged into the middle of it.
Furthermore, the Fortnite creator has chosen to take its battle overseas, having filed lawsuits in the UK and Australia, as well as to EU antitrust regulators.
However, it has since had its case against Apple rejected in the UK, though officials did say the case could be revisited depending on the US trial outcome. Apple and Epic Games will appear in court in May.
