Today Epic Games announced that Apple will reverse its decision to ban its iOS account which made headlines a few days ago.
According to the announcement, Apple not only told Epic that the account will be reinstated, but also made a commitment to the European Commission to that effect.
As a result, Epic will move forward with the launch of the Epic Games Store on iOS and the return of Fortnite to the platform, at least in Europe.
Epic Games also twisted the dagger in the wound by triumphally mentioning that "This sends a strong signal to developers that the European Commission will act swiftly to enforce the Digital Markets Act and hold gatekeepers accountable."
CEO Tim Sweeney confirmed on his X (formerly Twitter) account that Apple's U-turn on the issue followed an inquiry from the European Commission. He also defined this as "a big win for European rule of law, for the European Commission, and for the freedom of developers worldwide to speak up."
The DMA went through its first major challenge with Apple banning Epic Games Sweden from competing with the App Store, and the DMA just had its first major victory. Following a swift inquiry by the European Commission, Apple notified the Commission and Epic that it would relent and restore our access to bring back Fortnite and launch Epic Games Store in Europe under the DMA law.
A big win for European rule of law, for the European Commision, and for the freedom of developers worldwide to speak up.
This is just another episode a protracted legal saga that saw Epic and Apple on opposite sides, while the developer Fortnite recently had more luck in another fight against Google.
Speaking of Fortnite, the game is currently still down for protracted maintenance for the implementation of Chapter 5 Season 2.
Recently, Epic Games has enacted a radical shift for the game toward a full-fledged metaverse that aims to offer a wide variety of gameplay experiences.
Recently, we saw the release of LEGO Fortnite (which is also receiving a large update today), Rocket Racing by Rocket League studio Psyonix, and Fornite Festival by Rock Band developer Harmonix (which just moved into its Season 2 featuring Lady Gaga).
A relevant deal with Disney also marked a step in that direction with a $1.5 billion investment and the upcoming creation of a persistent world linked to Fortnite dedicated to Disney's properties.
