In new reports, we learn that the Apple and Epic Games tussle is now taking another turn in the favour of the tech giant. Apple has now moved to oust the Epic developer account out of the App Store. This move will hinder the progress of Epic Games in the Apple ecosystem, and it comes just before major changes in the EU.
Epic Games is not taking this move from Apple, as they have come out to make some statements on it already. For years now, the two parties in this article have been at each other’s necks for various reasons. Now Apple is taking a very serious move to remove Epic’s developer page from the App Store, and the developer calls this move anticompetitive.
Some weeks ago, Epic Game’s CEO Tim Sweeney took to X to call out Apple on its new move following the EU’s Digital Market Act (DMA). In the post, he referred to these moves as illegal, a scheme to thwart the EU’s DMA and anti-competitive. He also made clear his company’s plans to launch and bring the Epic Game Store to iOS users in the EU once the DMA requirements are met by Apple.
Following this post on X, the tech giant reached out to Epic Games, requesting a written assurance that Epic Games will honour their commitments to the App Store. In replying to this request, Epic promised to comply with all of Apple’s terms of current and future agreements. Well, these promises don’t seem to hold any water, as the next move from Apple shows how far gone the relationship between these two parties is.
Now with the launch of the iOS 17.4 update, Apple meets the requirements but takes Epic Games from the App Store. This move will prevent the Epic Game Store from being available to iOS users in the EU. Epic Games is now calling Apple out on this anti-competitive move, but this might not stop Epic Game titles like Fortnite from coming to iOS.