Work on the iOS Epic Games Store can continue as Apple restores Epic's developer account

After what was looking like yet another big legal battle was going to happen between Apple and Epic Games, Apple decided to blink. Today, Epic announced that Apple has restored its developer account for Epic Games Sweden, which means work can continue on the iOS version of the Epic Games Store for a European Union launch.

Epic Games previously announced its plans to launch an iOS version of its Epic Games Store in Europe, following the European Union's passage of the Digital Service Act. Among other things, it forced Apple into allowing third-party app stores on iOS devices.

Epic said its Sweden subsidiary had received an Apple developer account so it could create and run the iOS Epic Games Store. However, earlier this week, Epic announced that Apple had pulled the developer account from the Sweden studio. Epic claimed Apple had canceled the account in part because Epic and its CEO Tim Sweeney were publicly critical of how Apple was handling the implementation of the DSA on its devices.

Later in the week, the EU's regulatory body, the European Commission, confirmed it had asked Apple for more information on this dispute and added it was "evaluating whether Apple's actions raise doubts on their compliance with the DSA (Digital Services Act)."

That threat of a new investigation was apparently enough for Apple to reverse its decision and restore the developer account for Epic Games Sweden. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Sweeney said this move was a "big win for European rule of law, for the European Commision, and for the freedom of developers worldwide to speak up."

Epic plans to launch its iOS store in Europe later in 2024 and also relaunch Fortnite for EU players this year as well.