Epic Games Calls Out Apple for 'Arbitrary, Obstructive' iOS Game Store Rejections

UPDATE: Epic Games says its app has now been accepted.

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Original Story:
The ongoing saga between Epic Games and Apple has taken a new turn, with the Fortnite maker accusing Apple of deliberately delaying the launch of the Epic Games Store for iOS in Europe.

“Apple has rejected our Epic Games Store notarization submission twice now,” Epic Games said in a series of posts on X.

Apple apparently takes issue with Epic's “Install” and “In-app purchases” labels, which it says are too similar to the corresponding “Get” and “In-App Purchases” labels on the App Store. Epic Games says the rejection is “arbitrary, obstructive, and in violation of the DMA (Digital Markets Act),” and has shared its concerns with the European Union.

"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 says. "We're just trying to build a store that mobile users can easily understand, and the disclosure of in-app purchases is a regulatory best practice followed by all stores nowadays."

The DMA is intended to foster healthy competition among tech companies by creating a level playing field among social networks, search engines, video-sharing platforms, operating systems, cloud systems, and more. At least six major companies, including Apple, were named "gatekeepers" who are covered by the DMA.

For Apple, that means it must allow third-party iOS app stores in the EU. Apple approved Epic's developer account earlier this year following a lengthy antitrust feud over the rules for the iOS App Store, but the two have battled over the specifics ever since.

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If Epic Games’ submission is approved, the company hopes to launch “the Epic Games Store and Fortnite on iOS in the EU in the next couple of months.”

Neither Apple nor the EU responded to Epic Games’ claims yet. But last month, the EU accused Apple of violating the DMA by preventing app developers "from freely steering consumers to alternative channels for offers and content."