Epic Games says Apple is delaying the launch of its games store in Europe

(Reuters) – “Fortnite” maker Epic Games said on Friday that Apple was obstructing its efforts to create a game store for iPhones and iPads in Europe, the latest escalation in a bitter dispute over the tech giant’s control of the iOS app ecosystem.

Apple twice rejected the video game publisher’s submissions to launch the Epic Games Store because the design of some buttons and labels was similar to that used by its App Store, Epic said.

“We’re using the same ‘Install’ and ‘In-App Purchases’ naming conventions used in popular app stores across multiple platforms, and we’re following standard conventions for iOS app buttons,” Epic said in a series of posts about X.

“Apple’s rejection is arbitrary, obstructive and in violation of the DMA (Digital Markets Act), and we have raised our concerns with the European Commission,” he said.

Apple said it was working with Epic to resolve the issue and launch its games store. The European Commission declined to comment.

Epic and Apple have been embroiled in a legal battle since 2020, when the gaming company alleged that Apple’s practice of charging up to 30% commissions on in-app payments on its iPhone (iOS) devices violated U.S. antitrust rules.

Earlier this year, Apple proposed changes to its App Store policies to comply with certain DMA guidelines that went into effect in March.

It allowed alternative app stores on iPhones and the ability to opt out of the in-app payment system, but it imposed a “core technology fee” that many developers considered abusive.

Last month, EU antitrust regulators said Apple’s revised terms did not meet the standards set in the DMA and launched another investigation into its new contractual requirements for app developers and stores.

(Reporting by Yuvraj Malik, Aditya Soni and Jaspreet Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur and Shounak Dasgupta)