Date set for Apple v Epic Games trial Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. Date set for Apple v Epic Games trial Judge wants it to last a Fortnite. News by Emma Kent Contributor Updated on 5 Mar 2021 27 comments The battle between Epic Games and Apple over in-game microtransactions is still rumbling on, and after months of arguing it seems a date has finally been set for an in-person trial. Yep, it seems this one is going all the way. Yesterday a management conference was held in the US District Court for the Northern District of California, in which judge Yvonne Gonzalez organised a bench trial between Epic Games and Apple (as reported by MacRumors). A date has now been officially set for 3rd May, which will require witnesses to travel to Northern California to appear at court in person. Watch on YouTube The reason for the physical trial is that judge Gonzalez feels the case is serious enough that it should be heard in person, and believes witnesses are less likely to lie when being sworn in a courtroom. Those required to travel will apparently be given the resources to quarantine for two weeks after the trial, while other Covid safety measures will also be taken, such as limited numbers of people in the courtroom at any one time. In the event Covid-19 numbers are still high in the summer, the trial will instead take place over Zoom, hopefully without anyone accidentally turning themselves into a cat. The judge wishes for the trial to last two to three weeks, but Epic Games is pushing for a longer trial of four to five weeks - though the exact length of the trial will be decided later. The dispute between Epic Games and Apple began in August last year, when Epic added an alternative payment system to Fortnite to get around Apple and Google's in-app purchase mechanisms. Both Apple and Google then booted Fortnite off their stores, with Epic quickly responding by filing lawsuits against both companies. Since then Epic Games has won a temporary restraining order to prevent Apple from taking away its developer licenses for iOS and macOS (something that would have impacted third-party game developers using Unreal Engine). Apple, meanwhile, decided to halve its App Store fees for the vast majority of developers - something that will likely make it harder for Epic to claim it's championing smaller developers with its case. Oh, and Apple also filed a counter-lawsuit against Epic for breach of contract, adding another layer to the legal mess. In the court trial, Epic is expected to continue its argument that Apple's 30 per cent cut of in-game transactions is "costly" and "anti-competitive", while Apple will likely argue that its prices are reasonable and similar to other digital platforms like Steam. Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Google announces cloud gaming Chromebooks less than a fortnight after Stadia shutdown GeForce Now preinstalled. 3 Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 7 Lady Dimitrescu will be a tad smaller in Resident Evil Village's Mercenaries DLC Level the playing field. 1 Overwatch 2 suffers another DDoS attack and character roster bugs Mei Mei. 13 Latest Articles Digital Foundry Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090: a new level in graphics performance The Digital Foundry video review - and how the new GPU champion delivers for 4K 120fps gaming. Google announces cloud gaming Chromebooks less than a fortnight after Stadia shutdown GeForce Now preinstalled. 3 Feature Evercore Heroes wants to wind people up the right way "There's less rage at them, because they didn't end your fun." Genshin Impact Path of Gleaming Jade dates, login event rewards Including other anniversary rewards and how to claim them. Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store