In the latest twist of the ongoing feud between Epic Games and Apple, the tech giant has taken a decisive step by terminating Epic’s developer account. This move comes amidst a legal battle revolving around Apple’s contentious app store fees, particularly its commission structure.
Apple’s Move Leaves Fortnite’s iOS Future Uncertain
Epic Games, the renowned developer behind the immensely popular game Fortnite, revealed the termination of its developer account on Wednesday.
The significance of this action lies in its implications for Epic’s plans to reintroduce its Epic Games Store and Fortnite to iOS devices across Europe under the newly minted Digital Markets Act (DMA).
This legislative endeavor, recently ratified by the European Union, aims to foster a more equitable landscape for digital market competition.
However, Epic alleges that Apple’s termination of its developer account flouts the DMA and exposes the tech giant’s reluctance to embrace competition within the iOS ecosystem.
This development follows a recent expression of optimism from Epic regarding the reinstatement of its access to the App Store.
Just weeks prior, Epic had conveyed confidence via a social media platform (previously known as Twitter), indicating that its developer account had been secured.
Notably, both Apple and the European Commission have refrained from issuing official statements on the matter thus far.
The clash between Apple and Epic traces back to 2020 when Epic mounted a challenge against Apple’s practice of imposing a commission of up to 30% on in-app purchases, alleging a violation of U.S. antitrust laws.
In January 2024, in response to the DMA, Apple unveiled proposed revisions to its App Store policies. These revisions purportedly aimed to accommodate alternative app stores on iPhones and grant developers the freedom to integrate alternative payment systems within their applications.
However, under this proposed framework, Apple would levy a “core technology fee” amounting to 50 euro cents per user account annually for developers opting into the revised system.
Overall, Epic contends that Apple’s termination of its developer account constitutes an effort to eliminate a significant potential competitor to its App Store, thereby solidifying its dominance in the mobile app market.
The ramifications of this latest development remain uncertain, as it remains to be seen how it will influence the ongoing legal showdown between the two corporate juggernauts and shape the future landscape of app store regulations in Europe.
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