What to know about 'Fortnite' maker Epic Games' high-stakes antitrust suit against Apple

CEO Tim Cook took the witness stand Friday as the high-stakes legal showdown between Apple and Epic Games, makers of the wildly popular "Fortnite," heats up.

CEO Tim Cook took the witness stand Friday as the high-stakes legal showdown between Apple and Epic Games, makers of the wildly-popular "Fortnite," heats up. It marked the first time Cook testified in federal court as the company's chief executive, likely signaling the gravity of the lawsuit that accuses Apple of illegally wielding monopoly power over its App Store. The tech giant's alleged dominance over its App Store has also faced scrutiny from lawmakers. The saga began last August, when Apple booted Fortnite from its App Store after its developers introduced a way for players to make in-app purchases (for game accessories like skins or weapons) directly in the game versus through Apple. Apple, which collected a 30% commission on in-app purchases, responded by dropping Fortnite from the App Store. Epic Games then filed a lawsuit in the Northern California District Court on Aug. 13, accusing Apple of anti-competitive practices related to its App Store and its in-app payment processing system's "oppressive 30% tax on the sale of every app," according to the complaint.