Epic says revenge caused Apple to block it from opening a third-party app store in the EU،
Epic Games hoped that with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) opening things up for iPhone users in the EU, it would be allowed to create a third-party app storefront that iPhone users could access in 27 EU countries. By
BloombergApple blocked the move preventing Epic from launching its own app storefront and the game developer claims Apple is doing this simply to get back at his comments criticizing Apple.
Earlier today, Apple shut down Epic's developer account, which Epic called a “serious violation” of the DMA. Apple had already closed Epic's developer account in the
United States and other markets in 2020 after the game developer distributed its popular Fortnite game in the App Store with a link to the company's own in-app payment platform. Epic's app. Because this would allow Epic to circumvent the 15-30% fee Apple charges for processing in-app payments using its own platform, Epic's actions violated Apple's regulations. App Store.
In 2020, Epic was kicked out of the App Store for including this payment platform in Fortnite contrary to App Store rules.
An epic trial was ensured and the result was that Apple had to make it easier for developers to link customers to third-party in-app payment platforms. However, Epic was not allowed to force Apple to install the Epic App Store on the
iPhone. Apple extended an olive branch to Epic by offering the company a developer account in the EU thanks to the DMA changes. But that account was shut down by Apple, and as we noted at the
start of this article, Epic blames criticism of Apple from its CEO Tim Sweeney.
Epic, of course, is not happy that Apple closed its EU developer account today and in a statement the company said: “By terminating Epic's developer account, Apple is eliminating one of the biggest potential competitors to Apple's App Store. This undermines our ability to be a viable competitor and shows other developers what happens when you try to compete with Apple or criticize their unfair practices. »
Epic is also not happy with the new fees Apple plans to charge some developers. For example, basic technology fees are charged when iOS apps are distributed from the App Store and/or an alternative app marketplace. Developers will pay €0.50 for each first annual installation above a threshold of one million. Epic CEO Sweeney describes Apple's plans to comply with the DMA as “hot garbage” and a “horror show.”
Apple said today that it has the right to remove Epic's “entities” from its platform due to what the court has ruled in the past was a “gross violation of its contractual obligations” by the developer of the game. In a statement released today, Apple said: “In light of Epic's past and current behavior, Apple has chosen to exercise this right. »
