Sophie Blake
Epic Games has announced that it has submitted both Fortnite and the Epic Games Store to Apple for notarization, anticipating a launch in the near future. The company first announced its plans to launch the Epic Games Store on mobile devices in March.
Status update on our mobile plans:
— Epic Games Newsroom (@EpicNewsroom) June 28, 2024
DONE:
✅ Submitted the Epic Games Store and Fortnite to Apple for their required notarization process.
IN PROGRESS:
◻️ Launch! Targeting the next couple months for the store and Fortnite on iOS in the EU.
◻️ Bring our games to other mobile…
Earlier this year, Apple’s App Store rules underwent significant changes in response to the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), which mandates that the company open its iPhone software ecosystem to include alternatives to the App Store. So far, thanks to the company’s compliance with the region’s DMA, third-party iOS app stores such as Mobivention and AltStore PAL have been launched.
Apple’s current policies still necessitate that any app undergo a notarization process, including a human review. Upon approval, apps are also required to pay the Core Technology Fee, a charge of 50 euro cents per install per year once downloads exceed one million. This fee applies to both individual apps and app marketplaces like Epic Games Store and AltStore. For instance, if an EU user downloads Fortnite from the Epic Games Store, Epic will incur the Core Technology Fee twice, paying Apple one euro annually for each user.
Epic Games, along with other companies such as Spotify, has criticized these fees and the alternative business terms imposed by Apple. They argue that Apple’s policies still fall short of complying with the DMA. Recently, the European Commission issued a preliminary judgment stating that Apple’s anti-steering policies violate the DMA. The Commission is also formally investigating the Core Technology Fee and other rules related to alternative app marketplaces.
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