What Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney thinks about Apple, China and the 'metaverse' - CNN

The Epic Games CEO has been mounting a relentless attack on Apple, after the tech giant kicked his company's hugely popular video game Fortnite off the App Store. Apple said at the time that Epic flouted rules on digital payments by establishing its own system.

Epic sued Apple in response, kicking off a highly public trial. Apple has argued that its rigid payments system exists to protect the security and privacy of its developers and customers, and that it's only a small part of the video game market — and therefore has no monopoly.

The case is still working its way through US courts, but in October a judge ruled that Apple could no longer prohibit app developers from directing users to payment options outside its App Store. Still, the judge stopped short of calling Apple a monopoly, and the company has barred Fortnite from its devices until the legal battle finishes, which could delay the game's return to iPhones by several years.

CNN Business caught up with Sweeney in Seoul, where he was attending the Global Conference for Mobile Application Ecosystem Fairness — an event hosted by South Korean lawmaker Jo Seounglae. The country recently enacted a law that allows app developers to use alternative payment systems.

We asked Sweeney questions about that law, as well as his ongoing fight with Apple, Fortnite's failed foray into China and his thoughts on the "metaverse," the virtual world Facebook (FB) sees as its future. Our Q&A has been condensed and lightly edited for...

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