WASHINGTON, Mar 10 (Reuters): Under pressure from European regulators, Apple took a step back in its feud with Epic Games on Friday, clearing the way for Epic to put its own game store on iPhones and iPads in Europe.
Earlier this week, Apple had taken steps to block Epic from starting up a store and bringing back the popular game Fortnite, which Apple removed from its App Store in 2020 after Epic broke the iPhone maker's in-app payment rules in protest.
Apple's decision to open its door to Epic follows the European Union's Thursday deadline for Big Tech companies to comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA), a set of rules that bans Apple and Google from controlling which apps are distributed on devices with the iOS and Android operating systems.
Thierry Breton, the EU's industry chief, said regulators had warned Apple about the iPhone maker's move earlier this week to block Epic's potential return.
"I take note with satisfaction that following our contacts Apple decided to backtrack its decision on Epic exclusion. From Day 2, #DMA is already showing very concrete results!" Breton said on the X social media platform.
Epic and Apple have been in a legal battle since 2020, when the gaming firm alleged that Apple's practice of charging up to 30 per cent commissions on in-app payments on its iOS devices violated U.S. antitrust rules. Epic lost its court battle against Apple, and the game maker's gambit to intentionally break Apple's rules as a protest got it banned from Apple's devices.
Epic's victory on Friday leaves it well short of everything it wants from Apple.
Epic CEO Tim Sweeney has criticized Apple's plans for complying with the DMA, under which Apple says it still has the right to exclude third-party app marketplaces from its devices under some circumstances. And Fortnite remains unavailable in the App Store in the United States.
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