After Epic Games’ developer account was terminated on Wednesday, Apple said it will restore the Fortnite developer’s access to publish iOS apps in Europe. This means that Epic can move forward with its plans for an Epic Games Store and can bring Fortnite back to iOS in Europe.
Last month, Epic announced that it would be able to bring back Fortnite and the Epic Games Store due to Europe’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). The DMA, which recently went into effect, requires Apple to allow third-party app stores for the first time. However, earlier this week, Epic’s developer account in Europe was terminated. The row came as Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney publicly criticized Apple’s “bitter grip” when it was fined €1.84 billion by the European Commission for anti-competitive practices.
After the EU said it would take a closer look at Apple’s decision, Apple said Epic’s European account, called Epic Sweden AB, could be reinstated.
“After discussions with Epic, they have committed to following the rules, including our DMA policies. As a result, Epic Sweden AB has been granted permission to re-sign the developer agreement and has been accepted into the Apple Developer Program,” an Apple spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
Epic posted an update on its blog post about the controversy.
“This sends a strong message to developers that the European Commission will act quickly to enforce the Digital Markets Act and hold gatekeepers accountable,” Epic wrote. “We are moving forward as planned to launch the Epic Games Store and bring Fortnite back to iOS in Europe. Forward!”
Apple and Epic have been locked in an ongoing war for Apple’s grip on in-app payments. Sweeney has been an outspoken critic of Apple’s developer fees, which take 30% of in-app purchases. However, under the new DMA law, third-party marketplaces like the Epic Games Store can come to iOS, reducing Apple’s control over apps in Europe.
