Global – #FreeFortnite is a new social media campaign from Epic Games that highlights how Apple is blocking iOS users from installing and updating Fortnite's latest release.
The campaign subverts an old Apple advertisement that in itself was a play on the dystopian novel 1984 by George Orwell, with Fortnite calling gamers to ‘join the fight to stop 2020 from becoming 1984’. It is a response to Apple blocking Fortnite from being downloaded or updated on iOS devices owing to a dispute between Epic Games and the tech giant relating to in-app purchases.
By allowing direct in-game payment features that circumnavigated Apple receiving a 30% cut, it retaliated by removing Epic Games updates. Responding with its own take on aggro-tising, Epic Games believes that ‘all players should have a choice in payment providers’, appealing to gamers to join its fight against the App Store monopoly.
Companies are increasingly choosing to stand their ground in public, even if it means going against popular global brands or viewpoints. For more, explore what it means to be a Backlash Brand.