Apple withdraws and reinstates Epic Games’ iOS developer account in Europe

Apple agreed to reinstate Epic Game’s Swedish iOS developer account, days after Epic made public Apple’s decision to cancel the account. This move again paves the way for Epic’s plans to release a sideloadable version of the Epic Games Store. fortnite On iOS devices in Europe.

“After discussions with Epic, Epic has committed to following the rules, including our DMA policy,” Apple said in a statement provided to Ars Technica. “As a result, Epic Wednesday AB has been permitted to re-sign the developer agreement and be admitted to the Apple Developer Program.”

Apple’s new statement is in stark contrast to its position earlier this week, which cited “Epic’s egregious breach of its contractual obligations to Apple” as a reason it could not trust Epic’s promise to abide by the new developer agreement. It is true. In response to Epic shared by fortnite On Wednesday, Apple executive Phil Schiller provided further granularity on this point.

your various criticisms of us [Digital Markets Act] The compliance plan, coupled with Epic’s past practice of intentionally violating contract terms with which it disagrees, strongly suggests that Epic Sweden has no intention of playing by the rules…unable or willing to keep its promises. No developers will be able to continue participating. developer program.

A new world of regulations

Apple’s quick response comes just one day after the European Commission announced it would launch an investigation into Apple’s conduct under the new Digital Markets Act and other potentially applicable European regulations. If Apple was found to be in violation, it could have been subject to a hefty fine of up to 10% of the company’s global sales.

“We are making the DMA compliant [Thursday]So the compliance requirements are… Listen, you have to be able to run a separate app store, for example, and you can’t introduce a pricing structure that negates the benefits of DMA for all market participants. ” European Commission Vice-President Margrethe Vestager told Bloomberg TV on Tuesday.

In an update on its official blog, Epic linked Apple’s decision to a “public backlash against retaliation” and said the entire incident was “likely for the European Commission to act swiftly to enforce digital markets law and hold gatekeepers accountable.” “We are sending a strong signal to developers that we will do so.” Launch of Epic Games Store and fortnite Europe will revert to iOS. Go ahead! ”

in social media posts Epic CEO Tim Sweeney celebrated Apple’s move, saying that “DMA has achieved its first major victory,” and that the move “raises the voice of the rule of law in Europe, the European Commission, and developers around the world.” “This is a huge victory for freedom.” ”

Apple’s apparent withdrawal on this issue is likely a rift between the two giants, much like what resulted from Epic’s 2020 decision to violate Apple’s developer agreement by adding third-party payment options. It pre-empts a long legal and public relations battle. fortnite On iOS. But the battle, which played out primarily in a series of U.S. courts, differed in many ways from the new disputes that were unfolding under Europe’s new enforcement regime for DMA rules.

Epic announced last month that it plans to launch the Epic Games Store on iOS sometime in 2024.