Apple escalated its dispute with Epic Games on Wednesday, blocking the maker of the Fortnite video game from launching its own app store for iPhone and iPad customers in Europe. According to Epic Games, the move is a response to the company’s criticism of the tech giant and violates the European Union’s new comprehensive antitrust rules.
Apple has terminated Epic’s developer account, stopping the gaming company from bringing Fortnite and the Epic Games Store to Apple’s iOS devices in the EU, the software company said in a statement on Wednesday. Epic Games adds that this is a “serious breach” of the European Union’s new Digital Markets Act (DMA), which aims to boost competition in the industry.
Earlier this week, Apple updated the iPhone to support third-party app stores in the EU, along with sideloading — the ability to download apps outside of the company’s App Store. Apple made the changes to meet the DMA requirements, which take effect today.
The developer account has already been banned by Apple in the US and elsewhere since 2020, when Epic Games bypassed Apple’s payment system to sell in-app upgrades to users. This sparked a bitter dispute between the two companies, which eventually landed Apple and Epic Games in court. Apple generally prevailed, but was forced by a judge to make it easier for developers to direct customers to external payment methods for in-app purchases.
After detailing its plans to comply with new EU regulations earlier this year, Apple moved to remedy the restrictions by granting Epic Games’ Swedish division an EU developer account. It has now been shut down, which Epic says is the result of CEO Tim Sweeney’s criticism of Apple.
“By terminating the Epic Developer Account, Apple is removing one of the biggest potential competitors to the Apple App Store”, said Epic Games in a statement. “They undermine our ability to be a viable competitor and show other developers what happens when you try to compete with Apple or are critical of their unfair practices”, adds the statement.
Epic Games condemned the way Apple chose to implement the new DMA law, saying the new fees were unfair to developers. Sweeney described the plan as “hot rubbish” and a “horror show”. The game maker also published emails from Apple App Store chief Phil Schiller and the company’s lawyers pointing out that criticism.
A short time later, on March 2, Epic Games said it received a letter from an Apple attorney notifying it that the developer account had been terminated, effective immediately.
On Wednesday, Apple said it had the right to terminate Epic’s operations from its platform, citing court rulings that the game maker was in “gross breach of its contractual obligations”.
“In light of Epic’s past and ongoing conduct, Apple has chosen to exercise this right”, said Apple.
