Epic Games says Apple has terminated its developer account in the EU, meaning they cannot bring “Fortnite” back to the iPhone.
The video game developer planned to get the Epic Games Store and the battle royale game on iOS devices in Europe. However, Apple has allegedly put a blocker on this.
“We recently announced that Apple approved our Epic Games Sweden AB developer account,” Epic Games said in a statement this week. “We intended to use that account to bring the Epic Games Store and Fortnite to iOS devices in Europe, thanks to the Digital Markets Act (DMA). To our surprise, Apple has terminated that account, and now we cannot develop the Epic Games Store for iOS. This is a serious violation of the DMA and shows Apple has no intention of allowing true competition on iOS devices.”
The DMA means Apple and other Big Tech companies have to give “alternative marketplaces” access to distribute apps on iOS devices — in the case of the tech giant, its app store.
As a result, Epic Games decided to create an alternative app marketplace for iPhone so it could bring the Fortnite app there.
The beloved title was removed from the platform after Epic Games bashed Apple for taking 30 percent in commission in the app store, resulting in the two locking horns in court.
In January, Epic’s CEO Tim Sweeney said the company would be returning their game to iOS devices through their Epic Games Store, and is hoping their marketplace will “become the number one multiplatform software store, on the foundation of payment competition, 0-12 percent fees, and exclusive games like ‘Fortnite’.”
In a press release, Apple executive Phil Schiller announced the tech conglomerate’s change in policy.
“The changes we’re announcing today comply with the Digital Markets Act’s requirements in the European Union, while helping to protect EU users from the unavoidable increased privacy and security threats this regulation brings,” Schiller said. “Our priority remains creating the best, most secure possible experience for our users in the EU and around the world. Developers can now learn about the new tools and terms available for alternative app distribution and alternative payment processing, new capabilities for alternative browser engines and contactless payments, and more. Importantly, developers can choose to remain on the same business terms in place today if they prefer.”
