Quick Bytes
- Apple terminates Epic Games’ developer account, affecting Epic Games Store on iOS.
- Epic Games accuses Apple of violating the Digital Markets Act with the termination.
- Epic Games maintains other apps on the App Store and continues collaboration on new projects.
Summary of Epic Games and Apple Dispute
Epic Games, known for the hit game Fortnite, faces a setback as Apple terminates its developer account, blocking efforts to expand the Epic Games Store on iOS platforms. This move comes despite Epic’s recent announcement that Apple had approved its Sweden AB developer account, aimed at bringing Fortnite to European iOS users.
The game studio, which has seen massive success with Fortnite since its 2017 launch, criticizes Apple’s decision as a breach of the Digital Markets Act, which mandates that Apple must allow third-party app stores on its platform. Epic Games argues that this termination not only undermines fair competition by removing a major competitor but also discourages other developers from participating in the Apple App Store ecosystem.
Despite the friction, Epic Games continues to offer several titles through the App Store, including Rocket League and Postparty, and is collaborating with Apple on Horizon Chase 2 for Apple Arcade. They are also developing support for Apple’s upcoming Apple Vision Pro headset with Unreal Engine 5.4.
Apple’s rationale for the account termination points to Epic’s public criticism of Apple’s proposed compliance plan with the DMA, highlighting tweets from Epic’s CEO, Tim Sweeney. Apple views Epic as a potential threat to its ecosystem. Epic Games, on the other hand, has been vocal about Apple’s practices, labeling them as “illegal” and “unfair,” and suggesting that such actions have been taken against other developers as well.
