Apple has reinstated Epic Games’ European Union developer account, after shutting it down earlier this week. Apple said that Epic Games has agreed to follow the rules, allowing Epic Sweden AB to be reaccepted into the Apple Developer Program.
Following conversations with Epic, they have committed to follow the rules, including our DMA policies. As a result, Epic Sweden AB has been permitted to re-sign the developer agreement and accepted into the Apple Developer Program.
Apple on Wednesday said it had terminated Epic Games Sweden’s developer account worldwide. Apple said it was due to the game developer’s “egregious breach of its contractual obligations.” Apple said courts had previously granted Apple the authority to end the accounts of any of Epic’s subsidiaries due to contractual infractions.
Epic had previously announced that it intended to use its Swedish developer account to launch an Epic Games Store on iOS in the EU. The developer said it would then use the store to bring the Fortnite app back to the iPhone. As of Tuesday’s release of iOS 17.4, Apple now allows alternative app marketplaces on the iPhone in the European Union, to bring it into compliance with the EU Digital Markets Act.
Apple claimed that Epic is “verifiably untrustworthy,” with the Cupertino company also citing negative comments from Tim Sweeney about Apple’s Digital Marketplace Act (DMA) compliance.
Apple received criticism over its decision to kill the account, especially because Apple’s emails made it look like the Epic Games account was shut down due to Sweeney’s criticism. From an email from Apple VP Phil Schiller:
In the past, Epic has entered into agreements with Apple and then broken them. For example, you testified that Epic Games, Inc. entered into the Developer Program with full understanding of its terms, and then chose to intentionally breach the agreement with Apple. You also testified that Epic deliberately violated Apple’s rules, to make a point and forfinancial gain. More recently, you have described our DMA compliance plan as “hot garbage,” a “horror show,” and a “devious new instance of Malicious Compliance.” And you have complained about what you called “Junk Fees” and “Apple taxes.”
Your colorful criticism of our DMA compliance plan, coupled with Epic’s past practice of intentionally violating contractual provisions with which it disagrees, strongly suggest that Epic Sweden does not intend to follow the rules.
The European Commission began investigating Apple’s decision on Wednesday to terminate Epic’s developer account.
The EC announced that it has requested “further explanations” from Apple about the decision and said it was investigating under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), a new law aimed at curbing the power of the biggest online platforms. The EC added that it would also be considering whether Apple’s moves might have violated other EU laws.
Epic Games told MacRumors that the Epic Games store is coming to Europe.
Apple has told us and committed to the European Commission that they will reinstate our developer account. This sends a strong signal to developers that the European Commission will act swiftly to enforce the Digital Markets Act and hold gatekeepers accountable. We are moving forward as planned to launch the Epic Games Store and bring Fortnite back to iOS in Europe. Onward!
Apple’s reinstatement of Epic Games’ developer account hasn’t resulted in less criticism from the Fortnite developer, as the company continues to criticize Apple’s attempts at complying with the EU’s DMA. Sweeney has called Apple’s plan a “devious new instance of Malicious Compliance” and has said that Epic Games will continue to “argue to the courts and regulators that Apple is breaking the law.”