The iPhone maker has reversed its decision to cut off the Fortnite maker in the European Union
Apple has quite suddenly changed its mind with regards to its choice to ban Fortnite maker Epic Games from launching a competing platform to the App Store in Europe.
The decision change occurred one day after the EU announced an investigation
Officials from the European Union had only just announced that they were starting an investigation into the App Store competition battle when Apple changed directions.
This move represented the first serious test in Europe in the face of its newly implemented regulations for digital competition. Those rules went into effect last week. Apple’s direction change places the spotlight on how the EU’s Digital Markets Act may already be affecting the way consumers access digital content.
New App Store competition on iOS devices
The fact that Apple backed down now clears the way for Epic Games to make Fortnite available to iOS device users in Europe once again. Those device users haven’t been able to access the app since 2020, at which time Apple and Epic Games duked it out over the iPhone maker’s developer terms.
“Apple has told us and committed to the European Commission that they will reinstate our developer account,” said a statement from Epic Games. “This sends a strong signal to developers that the European Commission will act swiftly to enforce the Digital Markets Act and hold gatekeepers accountable.”
Working together…to a degree
According to a statement from Apple, it came to its decision regarding the App Store competition “following conversations with Epic,” in which the Fortnite maker made a commitment to adhere to the new EU-focused policies implemented by Apple.
“Epic Sweden AB has been permitted to re-sign the developer agreement and accepted into the Apple Developer Program,” explained Apple in a recent statement on the matter.
App Store in the European Commissioner’s sights
Apple’s App Store decision also arrived just after the European Commission announced that it had requested information from the iPhone maker with respect to some of the latest allegations. It also occurred shortly after Thierry Breton, a top commissioner in the EU, cautioned in a post on X that “there is no room for threats by gatekeepers to silence developers” and identified Epic’s complaint as an issue of ‘priority’.”
