Apple uses every tool at its disposal to fight Epic Games’s antitrust lawsuit across the App Store, and that apparently includes recruiting one of Epic’s competitors … or rather trying to recruit one of them. As iMore reports, Apple and Valve have filed a joint court letter indicating that they could not reach agreement on a subpoena requesting Steam data.
Apple wanted information on Steam’s annual financial performance, and availability details for 436 titles, to determine the total market size for Epic’s available digital release channels. In theory, this would indicate that there was a lot of competition.
Valve, however, did not request, claiming that the request was general, and asked for ‘highly confidential’ information and would impose an extraordinary burden on staff. Third parties control their prices and content in the game on Steam, and Apple merely uses Steam as a shortcut to the data, Valve added. In addition, Apple is questioning the need for the information in the first place, noting that Valve does not compete in mobile app stores and that the request for 436 games does not show the size of the market.
The Steam developer added that Apple seems to be contradicting itself. It has been argued earlier that the market platforms where Fortnite was available but now focused on the mobile world.
Following this letter, the judge in the case has yet to rule in favor of Apple or Valve. It does illustrate Apple’s strategy. If Valve’s refusal exists, it will also leave Apple without the data it hoped to use in court. While there is no guarantee that the data will help, Apple may have to rely on alternative support if it fends off Epic’s claims in the US and abroad.