The U.S. District Judge overseeing the high-profile legal battle between Apple and Epic has confirmed the trial will begin on May 3, 2021 — as previously indicated.
As reported by MacRumors, the date was set during a management conference held on March 1.
Notably, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers outlined plans for an in-person trial that will require witnesses to travel to Northern California to answer questions before the court.
Rogers claimed those involved in the case have the necessary resources to abide by the quarantine measures necessitated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The court also intends to implement measures that will keep those in attendance safe, including restricting the number of people allowed in the courtroom and the use of social distancing.
Epic and Apple have been at loggerheads over the latter’s decision to remove Fortnite from its platform after Epic used an unauthorized third-party payment method to circumvent platform fees.
Rogers has previously indicated the outcome of the trial could have consequences for the wider games industry, and last year warned of “serious ramifications” for other major players including Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo.