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Apple Has Restored Epic Games' Developer Account

After getting an inquiry from the European Commission, Apple decided to reverse its decision against Epic Games and restored its account.



Article Summary

  • Apple reverses Epic Games' developer account ban after EU scrutiny.
  • Epic's studio intended to return Fortnite to the EU App Store before ban.
  • European Commission's Thierry Breton credits their inquiry for Apple's backtrack.
  • Epic Games publishes a detailed response to their account reinstatement.

After a couple of days of public scrutiny on social media, and getting the European Commission involved, it appears Apple has decided to give Epic Games back its developer account back. A couple of days ago, Apple deleted the account for Epic's Sweden studio, which was in the process of bringing Fortnite back to the European App Store. The company even cited the reasoning for its decision was based on a Twitter/X post that Epic's CEO, Tim Sweeney, posted about Apple. Ironically enough, the very thing he was calling the company out for, they did by removing Epic without any oversight. Apple then switched their decision within a few days after an inquiry from the European Commission, to whom they informed they would undo the ban.

Apple Has Restored Epic Games' Developer Account
Credit: Epic Games

The European Commission is taking full credit for the move, in a post sent out by EC Commissioner Thierry Breton, stating, "I take note with satisfaction that following our contacts Apple decided to backtrack its decision on Epic exclusion." Apple was called to the carpet for being gatekeepers, deciding who gets to be on their platform simply by being the only available option to those who own Apple devices. A statement echoed by Breton as the commission is now looking into the matter more closely.

Epic Games also couldn't wait to toot their own horn over the decision, posting a lengthy response to the reinstatement on their own website, complete with documentation on the matter. For the vast majority of people, this is probably a done deal, but it really isn't The EC will most likely have a report about once the entire matter is investigated, and it could still lead to a greater inquiry over how Apple has been doing business in the European Union. What's more, Fortnite still isn't back on the App Store yet, and until it is, don't think for an instant that Epic is done being critical.


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Gavin SheehanAbout Gavin Sheehan

Gavin is the current Games Editor for Bleeding Cool. He has been a lifelong geek who can chat with you about comics, television, video games, and even pro wrestling. He can also teach you how to play Star Trek chess, be your Mercy on Overwatch, recommend random cool music, and goes rogue in D&D. He also enjoys hundreds of other geeky things that can't be covered in a single paragraph. Follow @TheGavinSheehan on Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, Bluesky, Threads, and Hive, for random pictures and musings.
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