Epic Games was stripped from its Apple developer account just as Apple opened up iOS to alternative app stores in the European Union as mandated by the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The news caught the attention of EU regulators which are now probing Apple over the exact causes for terminating Epic’s developer account. A European Commission spokesperson confirmed to Reuters that there is an ongoing investigation under the DMA where Apple will have to detail its actions and reasons for terminating Epic Games’ developer account.
Apple and Epic Games have a long and complex history which involved the two companies working closely over a decade ago with Unreal Engine 3 debuting on mobile for iOS back in 2010. Epic and its subsidiaries continued to develop hit titles iOS games like the Infinity Blade series, as well as Apple Arcade titles, and the main reason for the ongoing tensions – Fortnite.
It was Fortnite that set off the feud between Apple and Epic Games back in 2020 when Apple removed the hit battle royale game from the App Store for violating its policies and allowing users to bypass Apple’s payment system. The two companies entered a lengthy legal battle with the US court ultimately ruling in favor of Apple though it did force Cupertino to open up to alternative in-app payments. It remains to be seen how the new EU probe will affect Epic’s chances to again offer Fortnite on iOS but we’ll make sure to keep you in the loop.
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