Epic's EU game store and Fortnite iOS plans stall as Apple bans developer account

eurogamer.net:

Epic's plans to launch a version of its Epic Games Store on iOS in the EU have stalled after Apple terminated its developer account, calling the company «verifiably untrustworthy» — and the much-trumpeted return of Fortnite to iOS has been impacted too.

Epic announced it would be launching an iOS version of its store in Europe back in February, following Apple's confirmation it would be complying with the EU's Digital Markets Act requiring it to allow sideloading and alternate marketplaces on its devices. While Epic boss Tim Sweeney immediately launched a social media tirade in response to the announcement — calling Apple's planned implementation of the EU's rules «hot garbage» — Epic soon confirmed it had officially received an Apple Developer Account and would be launching a version of its Epic Games Store, operated by Epic Games Sweden, sometime this year.

Now, however, Epic claims Apple has terminated its Epic Games Sweden AB developer account, preventing it from developing an iOS store — a move it says is «a serious violation of the DMA and shows Apple has no intention of allowing true competition on iOS devices.»

In correspondence between Apple and Epic shared as part of today's announcement, Apple's Phil Schiller can be seen reaching out to Tim Sweeney for written assurances Epic is «acting in good faith» before approving its developer account, with Schiller drawing attention to Sweeney's «colourful» recent social media comments and noting, «In the past, Epic has entered into agreements with Apple and then broken them.» Epic, of course, infamously chose to circumvent Apple's contractually mandated App Store fees back in 2020 by adding the abililty to make direct in-game payments in Fortnite — a move that resulted in Fortnite being booted from the App Store and a lengthy legal tussle between the two companies.

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