This week, there was a surprising turn in the Epic Games vs. Apple legal battle, with the CEO of Epic Games announcing that Fortnite will make its return to the Apple App Store in the United States next week. A recent report revealed an odd situation during the trial: Apple claimed it was unaware of the profit margins associated with its own App Store.

In 2021, a court ruling mandated that Apple allow developers to incorporate shortcuts to their websites within their apps. This was intended to enable users to pursue alternative payment options for in-app purchases, exempt from Apple’s transaction fees.

However, Apple has yet to implement this change, leading to a new ruling that determined the company willfully violated the court order. This situation could potentially result in a contempt charge against Apple, posing another significant challenge for the tech giant.

During the trial, Apple was questioned about the profit margins of the App Store. Surprisingly, the company stated that it had no knowledge of this critical information.

This claim appears highly implausible, as the App Store serves as a major revenue source for Apple’s mobile and tablet ecosystem. Observers, including journalist Mark Gurman, expressed skepticism about a company that prides itself on being detail-oriented and financially savvy being unaware of such fundamental metrics.

Apple’s defense in this instance was notably weak, which may have contributed to the unfavorable ruling against the company. While Apple disagrees with the decision and plans to appeal, developers can now update their apps to use alternative payment methods without Apple’s cut, a scenario that could significantly impact the company’s bottom line.

Given the size of Apple’s user base, the loss of the usual 30% cut on in-app purchases could translate into substantial financial losses. In contrast, while Google also charges fees for in-app purchases in its Play Store, Android’s more open operating system allows users to sideload apps and utilize alternative app stores.

Epic Games capitalized on this openness by launching its own mobile app store, which can be easily downloaded from its website. Meanwhile, calls for Apple to permit the installation of alternative app stores are gaining traction, as the US market begins to catch up with Europe’s regulatory actions against anti-competitive practices.