The saga between Apple and Epic Games, the creator of Fortnite, shows no signs of slowing down. Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has pledged to battle Apple over what he calls “absurd” changes to the App Store.
Background of the Dispute
Epic Games has been at odds with Apple for years over the tech giant’s revenue-sharing policies in the App Store. Last year, Epic lost an antitrust lawsuit against Apple, but its grievances resonated in another lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice and 17 state attorneys general in March.
The European Angle
In Europe, the newly enacted Digital Markets Act appeared to offer Epic a lifeline, allowing the company to launch the Epic Games Store on iOS and bring Fortnite back to the platform with lower commission fees. However, Apple initially rejected the game store twice, citing similarities to its own App Store, particularly the “install” and “in-app purchase” buttons.
Recent Developments
Last Friday, Epic went public with its complaints about Apple’s “arbitrary, obstructive” rejections and reported its concerns to European regulators. Following this, Apple approved the Epic Games Store but stipulated that changes would be required in a future update.
The Ongoing Battle
Despite this apparent resolution, the conflict is far from over. Epic announced that it is “disputing” Apple’s conditions, with Sweeney stating the situation has “taken a turn towards the absurd.”
“Apple is now telling reporters that this approval is temporary and are demanding we change the buttons in the next version – which would make our store less standard and harder to use,” Sweeney said. “We’ll fight this.”
What’s Next?
Epic’s resistance suggests it will not comply with Apple’s demands, setting the stage for another showdown. The tech world watches with bated breath to see how this high-stakes dispute will unfold.
Stay tuned for updates on this ongoing battle between two of the biggest names in tech.
