In a victory for Epic Games, Apple has finally approved the Epic Games Store in the European Union after the gaming company raised concerns about repeated rejections from the tech giant. Epic Games publicly accused Apple of violating E.U. law by denying their application, sparking a wave of online backlash.
According to a post on the Epic Games Newsroom account, Apple rejected the Epic Games Store notarization submission twice, citing similarities to Apple’s own App Store. The main points of contention were the design of the “Install” button and the labeling of “In-app purchases,” which Apple claimed were too similar to its own features.
The news quickly spread like wildfire, with the initial posts receiving over 811,400 views and 5,000 likes. Epic Games went on to argue that the naming conventions of “Install” and “In-app purchases” are industry standards, and Apple’s actions were arbitrary and obstructive.
Fortunately, Apple eventually relented and informed Epic Games that their notarization submission had been accepted, bringing relief to the CEO Tim Sweeney and signaling that development was back on track. However, Sweeney also expressed frustration with delays in using Apple’s TestFlight program.
While it remains unclear if Apple caved due to the online backlash, a representative from Apple confirmed that the Epic Sweden AB Marketplace app had been approved. However, they did request that Epic Games make future Marketplace designs less similar to the Apple App Store.
This recent clash is part of a larger battle between Epic Games and app store companies like Apple and Google over revenue sharing. Epic Games’ CEO has long criticized the hefty cuts taken by these platforms, sparking investigations and legal battles.
In a statement to NBC News, Epic Games did not respond to requests for comment, highlighting the ongoing tension between the two companies. With regulatory scrutiny increasing, it seems the conflict between Epic Games and Apple is far from over.
[{By} Victoria Feng, Intern at NBC News Technology Desk]
