Apple has finally approved the Epic Games Store for operation in the European Union, following public complaints from Epic Games about repeated rejections. The gaming company had accused Apple of violating E.U. law by rejecting their notarization submission twice.
Initially, Epic Games Newsroom aired grievances on X, stating that Apple had rejected their submission due to perceived similarities between Epic's 'Install' button and Apple's 'Get' button, as well as their 'In-app purchases' label and Apple's equivalent. These claims sparked significant online attention, amassing over 811,400 views and 5,000 likes.
In response, Epic Games argued that such button and label naming conventions are industry standards and accused Apple of arbitrary obstruction, alleging violations of the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA).
Later updates from Epic Games confirmed that Apple had reversed its decision, accepting the Epic Games Store notarization submission. CEO Tim Sweeney shared this development on X, expressing relief and indicating that development could proceed without further delay. Sweeney also highlighted issues with Apple's TestFlight program delays, although the connection to the submission acceptance remains unclear.
Apple, while confirming the approval of Epic Sweden AB Marketplace app, reiterated their request for future Marketplace iterations to differentiate more distinctly from the Apple App Store.
This decision comes amid Epic Games' ongoing legal battles with Apple and Google over revenue-sharing policies and app store practices, which Epic contends restrict developer independence. The European Commission recently announced an investigation into Apple for potential DMA violations, focusing on concerns regarding app developer autonomy within the Apple ecosystem.