Apple today said it has approved the third-party Epic Games Store in the European Union, allowing the Fortnite developer to launch its alternative app marketplace in those countries, reports Reuters. Epic Games had submitted the Epic Games Store to Apple for notarization earlier this week.
Earlier today, Epic stated Apple had twice rejected the Epic Games Store this week, with Apple reportedly claiming that an “Install” button and “in-app purchases” labels were too similar to Apple’s own elements for the App Store. Epic argued that the rejection was “arbitrary, obstructive, and in violation of the DMA [Digital Markets Act]” and that it was reporting the issue to the European Commission, but it appears Apple has relented and approved Epic’s previously rejected submission.
Epic Games and Apple have been engaged in a years-long battle over Apple’s closed App Store ecosystem, and Epic has been eager to launch its own marketplace in the EU under Apple’s new policies driven by the Digital Markets Act.
