Fortnite maker Epic Games publicly lashed out at Apple on Friday after its latest proposal for a competing iOS app store was rejected by the smartphone maker. The company said on X that the rejection was triggered after Apple argued that Epic’s App Store design was too similar to its own.
The move follows Epic’s attempt to submit an iOS version of the Epic Games Store last week, a move that would allow iPhone and iPad users to download games to their device without going to Apple’s App Store.
“Apple’s rejection is arbitrary, obstructive, and a violation of the DMA (Digital Markets Act)“, Epic said in a statement on X on Friday, adding that the company had already raised its concerns with the European Commission. Apple rejected Epic’s Game Store notarization submission — a process by which apps are submitted to the company for review — twice in the past week, Epic spokesperson Elka Looks told WIRED.
The case is part of a larger battle over who controls the apps available to hundreds of millions of people. In a major blow to the American giant, Apple was forced by the Digital Markets Actnew EU rules to allow alternatives to its own branded app store on European iPhones and iPads since March.
“Apple has twice denied our notarization request for the Epic Games Store, claiming that 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,” the company said.
Epic said its naming conventions echo Apple’s because the company is “trying to create a store that mobile users can easily understand.” Apple did not respond to WIRED’s request for comment.
There is more than 100 million Apple App Store users in the EU. The launch of the Epic Games Store would, for the first time, give these users a choice of where they want to download apps.
The moment is eagerly awaited by lawmakers who say tech giants are stifling competition by blocking rivals’ access to their users. “Launching an alternative app store within Apple’s system would be a major demonstration that the DMA can spur competition and thus lower prices for consumers,” he added. Andreas Schwaba member of the European Parliament who helped negotiate the DMA, told WIRED.
Epic and Apple are long-time rivals. In 2020, Epic filed a complaint against Apple in California, arguing that the company’s hold on the iOS market was “unreasonable and illegal.” Apple walked away from the U.S. case (Above all) victorious. But in Europe, Epic is now part of a vocal community of developers who are bubbling about the power they perceive Apple’s App Store wields over their businesses and the commission the company charges on in-app purchases.
“Apple is holding app providers hostage like the mafia,” said Matthias Pfau, CEO and co-founder of Tuta, an encrypted messaging provider. told WIRED earlier this year. Epic’s proposal for an alternative app store is a test case for the possibility of other alternative app stores that could reshape the relationship between Apple and developers.
The Epic Games Store is already available on PC, Mac, and Android, but not on Google Play. The company now plans to continue seeking approval for its iOS version, it said: “Barring any further obstacles from Apple, we remain prepared to launch the Epic Games Store… on iOS in the EU in the coming months.”
