It's another day ending in 'y', which means another update in the seemingly endless Epic vs Apple saga that many thought had concluded long ago. The latest development suggests that Apple may be compelled to eliminate its controversial 30% commission on links to alternative payment methods outside the App Store.
What does this mean for consumers? Essentially, Apple appears to be the definitive loser in the original Epic vs Apple case, which erupted when Epic Games' CEO, Tim Sweeney, enabled players to make in-app purchases directly from Epic for their popular battle royale game, Fortnite, at a significant discount.
While Apple had previously been required to remove fees and restrictions on external linking within the EU, the US courts had been somewhat more favorable to them. However, the tide has turned, and Apple is now barred from doing the following:
- Imposing fees on purchases made outside an app
- Restricting developers' placement or formatting of external links
- Limiting the use of 'calls to action' such as banners that inform users of potential savings
- Excluding certain apps or developers
- Interfering with consumer choice using 'scare screens'
- Using anything other than 'neutral messaging' to inform users they are navigating to a third-party site
In essence, while Epic may have lost some individual battles, it seems to have won the war. Apple intends to appeal the decision, but overturning these rulings appears unlikely.
With the Epic Games Store for mobile already established on Android and iOS in the EU, and on Android in the US, the significance of the iOS App Store may soon diminish.
