Fortnite maker Epic Games has said it will continue to “fight” Apple over changes the iPhone maker is reportedly asking it to make to its own app store.
Epic Games chief executive Tim Sweeney said the ongoing saga over the approval of Epic app store app was “absurd”, after Apple rejected Epic’s marketplace before reversing its decision after the Fortnite maker publicly criticised the decision.
However, some reports said Apple’s decision was only temporary, and it would require Epic to make changes in a future update over concerns some of the in-app buttons appeared too similar to the design of Apple’s own store, something it says it does not allow and can confuse users.
The stand-off between the two companies is the latest episode in a long-running dispute between them centered around Apple’s control of the App Store on the iPhone and iPad, which Epic Games has argued is unfair and anti-competitive.
New laws in the EU – the Digital Markets Act (DMA) – have changed the landscape by introducing sweeping new rules designed to stop the biggest tech firms from cornering digital markets and as a result this has forced Apple to allow people in Europe to download iPhone apps from stores not operated by the US tech giant, a move it has long resisted.
Epic Games said last week that the initial decision to reject their Epic Games Store app breached the DMA and disputed Apple’s suggestion that its design was too similar to Apple’s.
Mr Sweeney said reports of Apple’s approval being only temporary meant the “saga has taken a turn towards the absurd”.
In a post to X, formerly Twitter, late on Friday night, he said: “Apple is now telling reporters that this approval is temporary and are demanding we change the buttons in the next version – which would make our store less standard and harder to use. We’ll fight this.”
This was followed by a further statement from Epic Games, confirming they would dispute Apple’s decision.
“Apple has told some press channels that, though they have approved our current EGS (Epic Games Store) iOS App for notarisation, they are still demanding Epic change the user interface in a future version. Epic is disputing this,” the company said.
Apple has not commented further on the issue, but last week said it was trying to help Epic Games get its marketplace approved and believed the issue was a small matter which could be easily fixed.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here