Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, has a lot to say about the changes Apple made to its App Store in the European Union. In an extensive post on X (formerly Twitter), Sweeney calls the update “a new instance of malicious enforcement” or, in layman's terms, “hot garbage.”
This afternoon, Apple announced that it would enable downloading, alternative app stores, and third-party browser engines on the iPhone with the release of iOS 17.4 in March. The company will also open the App Store to game streaming services and finally allow developers to use alternative payment options within the app. Apple made the changes to comply with the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA), which requires large technology companies to follow a strict set of rules aimed at encouraging competition in the mobile app market and other areas.
Epic, which operates the Epic Games Store and the game. fortnite, has been one of the companies that has requested this type of changes the loudest. He waged a long-running legal battle against Apple's “walled garden” approach to the App Store in the United States.
However, Sweeney doesn't think Apple's planned changes are fair to developers. It claims Apple is forcing them to “choose between App Store exclusivity and store terms, which will be illegal under the DMA, or accept a new illegal anti-competitive scheme rife with new junk fees on downloads and new taxes.” from Apple about payments they don't make. “I don’t process.” Sweeney is likely referring to the new basic technology fee of 0.50 euros (about 54 cents) that Apple will charge for each annual installation of apps downloaded more than 1 million times in the EU.
Sweeney also takes issue with the fact that Apple can “choose which stores can compete with its App Store.” He says Apple could technically block Epic from launching its store, and the same goes for Microsoft, Valve, Good Old Games, and others. Still, Sweeney says his goal is to launch the Epic Games Store on iOS and Android and become the “number one cross-platform software store.” based on payment competition, 0% to 12% fees and exclusive games like Fortnite.”
We're sure to see more developers respond to Apple's new rule changes in the coming days. Spotify, for example, has already said it will launch an in-app payment system in the EU once the DMA comes into force. Both Epic and Spotify are some of Apple's most outspoken critics, and both companies hit back at Apple for imposing a 27 percent tax on purchases made outside of the App Store in the United States.
Sweeney will surely also have more to say about Apple's EU policies, and it looks like he's just getting started. “There's a lot more crap in Apple's ad,” she says. “It will take more time to analyze the written and unwritten parts of this new horror show, so stay tuned.”
