Update, Saturday, July 6: Epic Games has updated its statement to confirm that Apple has now accepted its submission.
In a brief addendum, Epic said: “Update: Apple has informed us that our previously rejected Epic Games Store notarization has now been accepted.”
Manage cookie settings
Epic has not disclosed whether it has withdrawn its call for the European Commission to investigate its “concerns”.
The original story follows.
Epic Games referred Apple to the European Commission for rejecting the submission of the notarization, claiming that Apple’s refusal was “arbitrary, obstructive and in breach of the Digital Markets Act (DMA)”.
In a statement posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, Epic said Apple has acknowledged an issue with its call-to-action buttons, claiming that the “Get” and “In-App Purchases” buttons are too similar in appearance. design to Apple’s own buttons.
Epic says it uses the words “install” and “in-app purchases” because it follows naming conventions that app users are already familiar with.
“Apple has rejected our notarization of the Epic Games Store twice now, claiming that the design and position of Epic’s Install button is too similar to Apple’s Get button, and that our In-App Purchases label is too similar to that of the App Store Label “In-App Purchases,” Epic Games said.
“We use the same ‘Install’ and ‘In-App Purchases’ naming conventions used in popular app stores across multiple platforms, and follow standard conventions for buttons in iOS apps. We’re just trying to build a store that mobile users can easily understand, and in-app purchase disclosure is a regulatory best practice followed by all stores these days.
Manage cookie settings
“Apple’s rejection is arbitrary, obstructive and in violation of the DMA, and we have shared our concerns with the European Commission,” Epic concluded. “Barring further obstacles from Apple, we remain poised to launch on the Epic Games Store and Fortnite on iOS in the EU in the next few months.”
ICYMI, EU regulators recently launched a new investigation following allegations that Apple is not complying with EU rules.
The European Commission – which launched an investigation into Apple’s alleged non-compliance back in March – accused Apple of breaching the Digital Markets Act, meaning Apple could face a fine of up to 10 percent of the firm’s global annual revenue. That might not sound like much, but when you consider that Apple generates £301 billion ($383 billion) a year, it’s a significant penalty.
As Tom explained to us at the time, Apple’s previously announced decision to satisfy the DMA rules drew criticism for the fees and limits that make it expensive to release games or apps outside of the App Store — something that has long been a legal rival of the head of Epic Games Tim Sweeney called “hot garbage”.
