Apple was recently holding back the approval for Epic Games marketplace on iOS devices in the EU region. However, now the iPhone maker has given the go-ahead to the Fortnite maker for its ambitions to launch a games storefront on iPhones and iPads throughout Europe. Prior to receiving this green light, Epic Games said that Apple had rejected the documentation twice which the video game publisher provided by giving the reason that some of the buttons and labels resembled those of its App Store.
Epic Games V. Apple
Epic Games took to X (formerly Twitter) to say, “Apple has rejected our Epic Games Store notarization submission twice now, claiming the design and position of Epic’s ‘Install’ button is too similar to Apple’s ‘Get’ button and that our ‘In-app purchases’ label is too similar to the App Store’s ‘In-App Purchases’ label.”
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In the same thread, the video game publisher added, “We are using the same ‘Install’ and ‘In-app purchases’ naming conventions that are used across popular app stores on multiple platforms, and are following standard conventions for buttons in iOS apps. We’re just trying to build a store that mobile users can easily understand, and the disclosure of in-app purchases is a regulatory best practice followed by all stores nowadays.”
It concluded by saying, “Apple’s rejection is arbitrary, obstructive, and in violation of the DMA, and we’ve shared our concerns with the European Commission. Barring further roadblocks from Apple, we remain ready to launch in the Epic Games Store and Fortnite on iOS in the EU in the next couple of months.”
After these tweets, Apple announced that it had approved Epic Games’ app market.Â
At the start of the year, Apple updated its App Store standards to comply with specific DMA regulations that took effect in March. The purpose of these regulations is to make it easier for users in Europe to switch between competing services.
