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Apple has promised the European Commission that it will reinstate Epic Games’ developer account and unblock the Fortnite company’s future access to the iOS app store.
This is according to an update from Epic Games. Original post about bannoted that plans for a new Epic Games Store and the return of Fortnite are moving forward.
“This sends a strong signal to developers that the European Commission will act quickly to enforce digital market law and hold gatekeepers accountable,” the company wrote.
On Thursday, it was reported that the European Union’s antitrust regulator had asked Apple for “further explanation” as to why it had deleted Epic’s developer account the previous day.
On Wednesday, Apple called Epic “clearly untrustworthy,” referring, at least in part, to the original 2020 Fortnite hotfix that enabled direct crypto payments that bypassed Apple’s 30% fee. Epic’s violation of the developer agreement it signed with Apple, and a long-standing legal dispute between the two companies.
In January, Apple announced it would allow third-party app stores and alternative payment systems on iOS in preparation for the EU’s Digital Markets Act. However, Apple collects a fee of up to 17% on all transactions for digital goods and services sold through these stores, plus an additional 3% if the business wishes to use Apple’s payment processing system. It added that a fee would be charged.
This morning, contributing editor Rob Fahey discussed Apple’s strategy and how such preparations “reek strongly of malicious compliance.”
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney posted today on X I have written: “The DMA experienced its first major challenge with Apple banning Epic Games Sweden from competing with the App Store, and the DMA has just achieved its first major victory. After a swift investigation by the European Commission. Apple has informed the European Commission and Epic that it will ruthlessly restore our access, reinstate Fortnite, and launch the Epic Games Store in Europe under DMA law.”
Sweeney called the move “a huge victory for the rule of law in Europe, the European Commission and the freedom of developers around the world to have a voice.”
