Apple announced on Friday that it has approved Epic Games’ marketplace app for iPhones and iPads in Europe.
This approval follows Epic Games’ accusation that Apple was hindering its efforts to establish a games store on its devices.
Apple clarified that this dispute involved the Epic Sweden AB Marketplace and not the already-approved Fortnite app.
App developers and antitrust regulators have often criticized Apple’s strict control over the iOS app ecosystem.
Before this announcement, Epic claimed that Apple had twice rejected its documents for launching the Epic Games Store, arguing that certain button and label designs were too similar to those used in Apple’s App Store.
Epic stated, “We are using the same ‘Install’ and ‘In-app purchases’ naming conventions that are used across popular app stores on multiple platforms and are following standard conventions for buttons in iOS apps.”
Epic further argued, “Apple’s rejection is arbitrary, obstructive, and in violation of the DMA (Digital Markets Act), and we’ve shared our concerns with the European Commission.”
The European Commission, which started investigating Apple’s app validation and sideloading checks last month, declined to comment on the matter.
The legal conflict between Epic and Apple began in 2020 when Epic accused Apple of violating U.S. antitrust rules by charging up to 30% commissions on in-app payments on iOS devices.
Earlier this year, Apple proposed changes to its App Store policies to align with certain directives of the DMA, which took effect in March.
These changes included allowing alternative app stores on iPhones and giving users an option to opt-out of the in-app payment system.
However, Apple introduced a “core technology fee,” which many developers found exploitative.