Epic Games says Apple stalling launch of its game store in Europe

Epic Games accuses Apple of hindering its efforts to launch a games store on iPhones and iPads in Europe due to similarities in design with the App Store.

Smartphone with Epic Games logo is seen in front of Apple logo in this illustration taken, May 2, 2021. (REUTERS)

"Fortnite" maker Epic Games said on Friday Apple was impeding its attempts to set up a games store on iPhones and iPads in Europe, the latest escalation in a bitter feud over the technology giant's control of the iOS app ecosystem.

Stumbling Blocks in Europe

Apple has twice rejected documents it submitted to launch the Epic Games Store because the design of certain buttons and labels was similar to those used by its App Store, the video-game publisher said.

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Citing European Law

"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 said in a series of posts on X.

"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," it said.

Regulators Take Notice

Under pressure from European regulators, Apple had in March cleared the way for Epic to put its own game store on iOS devices in Europe.

Apple and the European Commission did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.