Apple lifts Epic's developer account ban, the Epic Games Store is coming

Earlier this week, Apple banned Epic’s developer account making it cancel its plans to launch the Epic Games Store (a third-party store) on iOS in the European Union. However, just a day later, the Californian giant lifted the ban in light of the regulatory framework of the Digital Markets Act (DMA). This reversal of its decision means that EU iPhone users will finally be able to get the Epic Games Store and will be able to play Fortnite, alongside other games.

A story backstory…

For the uninitiated, Apple, in order to comply with the EU’s DMA, had to allow third-party app developers to offer their alternative app stores on iOS in the EU. Its latest DMA report released on March 7 affirms the same saying, ‘Developers will be able to create alternative marketplace apps on iOS’. Apple also allowed the same with the latest iOS 17.4 update.

However, a day back, on March 6, Apple terminated Epic’s developer account, destroying the game maker’s plan to launch its very own Games store on iOS. On March 8, Epic shared an update that confirmed that Apple has reinstated its developer account after the public backlash.

“Apple has told us and committed to the European Commission that they will reinstate our developer account. This sends a storage signal to developers that the European Commission will act swiftly to enforce the Digital Markets Act and hold gatekeepers accountable. We are moving forward as planned to launch the Epic Games Store and bring Fornite back to iOS in Europe. Onward!,” noted the Epic blog post.

Apple hasn’t revealed why it suddenly banned Epic’s developer account, however, it’s now back and Epic can continue with its Games Store launch in Europe.

Apple banned Fortnite almost 4 years ago over an in-app purchase battle, where Epic tried to introduce its own payment system within Fortnite violating Apple’s App Store guidelines.

Well, Fortnite is still not on the App Store and that’s why the new DMA rules are a win-win for Epic. The upcoming Epic Games Store in the EU will let Apple users play Fortnite and a list of its other games.

Not just Epic, but other developers can also launch their app stores on iOS in the EU. As aforementioned, Apple’s iOS 17.4 update allows the same. And, as per its recent DMA compliance report, users will also be able to set the default app store of their choice.

Apart from this, Apple is also bringing some other changes by 2025. This includes the ability to transfer all iPhone data to Android, making the switch easier. Furthermore, EU users will soon be able to uninstall Safari and also choose a third-party navigation app as default. You can read more about the same here.