Recap:
Epic Games has been on a mission to break free from Apple’s closed ecosystem for years. Despite a recent court case that mostly favored Apple, new legislation from the European Union has given Epic a new path to pursue. However, Apple has been putting up roadblocks, resulting in a hefty fine from Europe.
Recently, Epic Games announced that their sideloaded iOS game store has finally passed Apple’s submission checks after facing some final hurdles. Apple reportedly delayed the Epic store’s approval because they felt the buttons on the store looked too similar to those on the official App Store.
Epic accused Apple of arbitrarily rejecting their submission, claiming it violated the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). This legislation requires Apple to allow sideloading and alternate software distribution channels on their mobile devices.
Update: Apple has informed us that our previously rejected Epic Games Store notarization submission has now been accepted. July 5, 2024
– Epic Games Newsroom (@EpicNewsroom)
DailyTech reported that Apple worked with Epic to resolve the issue and had already approved a sideloaded iOS version of Fortnite. However, Apple emphasized that alternate app stores cannot resemble the official one too closely, as stated in their terms of service.
Fortnite and the Epic store are gearing up for a re-launch on iOS in Europe, but dissatisfaction lingers among regulators and third-party developers regarding Apple’s compliance with the DMA. Epic and Spotify have criticized Apple’s fees and conditions for releasing sideloaded apps.
Apple is currently under investigation by the EU for various issues, including their developer membership rules and restrictions on informing customers about payment options. This could potentially lead to a significant fine for Apple.
Outside of Europe, Apple’s closed ecosystem remains untouched. While other countries like Japan, South Korea, and certain US states are looking into Apple’s app distribution and payment processing policies, none have proposed measures as extensive as the DMA. Since a 2021 ruling against Epic, Fortnite has only been accessible on iOS through browser-based streaming.
