Apple approves Epic Games marketplace app in Europe

Epic Games in iOS: Apple announced on Friday that it has approved Epic Games' marketplace app for iPhones and iPads in Europe, following an escalation in the ongoing feud between the two companies. Epic Games, the creator of "Fortnite," has accused Apple of obstructing its efforts to establish a games store on Apple devices.

Apple clarified that the recent dispute concerns the Epic Sweden AB Marketplace and is unrelated to the "Fortnite" app, which has already been approved.

App developers and antitrust regulators have long criticised Apple's stringent control over the iOS app ecosystem. Before Apple's announcement, Epic Games claimed that Apple had twice rejected documents submitted to launch the Epic Games Store due to similarities in the design of certain buttons and labels with those used by the App Store.

"We are using the same 'Install' and 'In-app purchases' naming conventions that are used across popular app stores on multiple platforms, and are following standard conventions for buttons in iOS apps," Epic stated in a series of posts on X. "Apple's rejection is arbitrary, obstructive, and in violation of the DMA (Digital Markets Act), and we've shared our concerns with the European Commission."

The European Commission, which recently opened an investigation into Apple's app validation checks and reviews, declined to comment.

Epic and Apple have been engaged in a legal battle since 2020, when Epic alleged that Apple's practice of charging up to 30 per cent commissions on in-app payments on iOS devices violated US antitrust rules.

Earlier this year, Apple proposed changes to its App Store policies to comply with certain directives of the DMA, which came into force in March. These changes included allowing alternative app stores on iPhones and providing an opt-out from using Apple's in-app payments system. However, Apple introduced a "core technology fee," which several developers found exploitative.

(With Reuters inputs)