Apple announced its approval of Epic Games’ marketplace app for iPhones and iPads in Europe. This decision follows an intensified dispute between the two companies, with Epic Games accusing Apple of obstructing its efforts to establish a games store on Apple devices, Reuters news report said.
The controversy involves the Epic Sweden Marketplace and is not related to Epic’s game “Fortnite,” which has already been approved by Apple. The development comes amidst growing criticism from app developers and antitrust regulators regarding Apple’s control over the iOS app ecosystem.
Prior to Apple’s announcement, Epic Games claimed Apple had twice rejected its documents to launch the Epic Games Store, citing similarities in the design of certain buttons and labels to those used by Apple’s App Store.
Epic responded by stating, “We are using the same ‘Install’ and ‘In-app purchases’ naming conventions that are used across popular app stores on multiple platforms, and are following standard conventions for buttons in iOS apps,” in a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter).
Epic alleged that Apple’s rejection was arbitrary, obstructive, and in violation of the DMA (Digital Markets Act), and shared its concerns with the European Commission. The European Commission, which began investigating Apple’s app validation and alternative app store checks last month, declined to comment.
This legal battle between Epic and Apple has been ongoing since 2020, when Epic accused Apple of violating U.S. antitrust rules by charging up to 30 percent commissions on in-app payments made through its iOS devices.
Earlier this year, Apple proposed changes to its App Store policies to align with the DMA directives that took effect in March. The changes allowed alternative app stores on iPhones and an opt-out from using Apple’s in-app payment system but introduced a “core technology fee” that many developers criticized as exploitative.
