Apple's Feud With Epic Games Gets Uglier: iPhone Maker Terminates Latter's Developer Account From App Store

Epic Games was building a way to take advantage of the DMA, but Apple blocked those efforts on Wednesday by citing the former's past breaches of contract in the long-running legal dispute.

Epic Games had created a new developer account in Sweden which Apple terminated.

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Apple has escalated its feud with Epic Games by blocking the Fortnite video game maker from launching its own online marketplace on iPhones and iPads in Europe. Apple and Epic Games have been battling each other legally since 2020 when the gaming firm alleged that Apple's up to 30 per cent commissions on in-app payments on its iPhone Operating System (iOS) devices violates US antitrust rules.

Attempts by Epic Games in the direction of paving the way for rival marketplaces on Apple's devices are a major threat to the iPhone maker's profits and authority. EU is forcing Apple to allow those third-party marketplaces with a law called the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Epic Games was building a way to take advantage of the DMA, but Apple blocked those efforts on Wednesday by citing the former's past breaches of contract in the long-running legal dispute.

What Went Down?

Epic Games had created a new developer account in Sweden which Apple terminated. The gaming company created the account in an effort to put Fortnite and other games back on iPhones in Europe. The reason why such importance is being paid to developer accounts is that software creators cannot distribute apps to iPhones and iPads without having a developer account. Earlier in 2020 also Apple has terminated some of Epic Game's developer accounts after the latter purposely broke Apple's in-app payment rules.

Apple on Wednesday said that the court rulings have made it clear that the company has 'sole discretion' to terminate any developer accounts by Epic Games in light of its 'egregious' breaches of the company's developer agreements. The iPhone maker said, "In light of Epic's past and ongoing behaviour, Apple chose to exercise that right" to terminate Epic Games' account. 

Epic Games in response to this said that Apple was removing one of the largest potential competitors to the App Store. It said, "This is a serious violation of the DMA and shows Apple has no intention of allowing true competition on iOS devices."