Changing its mind, Apple approves the Epic Game Store for the EU
There is no denying that Epic Games has been trying to get Apple to approve an Epic Games Store for the iPhone dating back to the 2021 Epic via Apple court battle. That legal battle took place after Apple kicked Epic and its popular Fortnite game out of the App Store for trying to get around Apple's in-app processing platform that took a commission every time an in-app purchase was rung up.
Thanks to the EC's Digital Markets Act (DMA), Apple must allow third-party app storefronts to find a home inside iOS in the EU. As recently as yesterday, Epic complained that Apple had twice rejected its submission to add the Epic Games Store to the iPhone in the 27 EU member countries. Epic stated that Apple's decision was "arbitrary, obstructive, and in violation" of the DMA. However, Apple has pulled a 180-degree reversal and has reportedly approved the addition of the Epic Game Store to iOS.
Earlier reports noted that Apple believed that Epic was for the most part compliant with the EU guidelines except for the placement of certain buttons that could be confusing to consumers. Developers are prohibited from adding buttons to apps that could lead users to believe that certain elements in the app were made by Apple. Epic said that it has used the same button layout in other platforms and followed "standard conventions" for iOS buttons.
Apple kicked Fortnite and Epic out of iOS for trying to bypass Apple's in-app payment platform
Apple told AppleInsider on Friday that it has approved Epic's application for its Marketplace app in the EU and merely requested that Epic fix the button in the next submission it makes for the app. Apple isn't known for giving in when facing a situation like this but it needs to be very careful here because the EC has already reached a preliminary view that as far as Apple is concerned, its App Store rules violate the Digital Markets Act (DMA). As a result, Apple could be fined up to $38 billion or 10% of its fiscal 2023 global revenue.
Epic still needs to finish work on the back end of its app although previously it did say that it was only a couple of months away from having its app added to iOS. Apple's about-face should only make things easier for Epic to reach its goal.
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