Epic Games takes Apple to European Commission over button design dispute

Update Saturday July 6Epic Games has issued an update to its statement to confirm that Apple has now accepted its request.

In a brief addendum, Epic said: “Update: Apple has informed us that the Epic Games Store verification request we previously denied has now been accepted.”

Epic did not disclose whether it had withdrawn its call for the European Commission to investigate its “concerns.”

Original story follows.

Epic Games has referred Apple to the European Commission for rejecting its certification application, alleging that Apple’s refusal is “arbitrary, obstructive and in violation of the Digital Markets Act (DMA)”.

In a statement posted to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, Epic Games said Apple had objected to the call-to-action buttons, claiming that the “Get” and “In-app Purchases” buttons were too similar in design to Apple’s own buttons.

Epic says it uses the words “install” and “in-app purchases” because it follows naming conventions that app users are already accustomed to.

“Apple has rejected our application for an Epic Games Store license twice now, claiming that the design and location of Epic’s “Install” button is too similar to Apple’s “Get” button and that our “In-App Purchases” label is too similar to the App Store’s “In-App Purchases” label,” Epic Games said.

“We use the same ‘install’ and ‘in-app purchases’ naming conventions as popular app stores across multiple platforms, and follow standard conventions for buttons in iOS apps. We’re just trying to build a store that mobile users can easily understand, and disclosing in-app purchases is a regulatory best practice that all stores follow today.

“Apple’s denial is arbitrary, obstructive, and in violation of the DMA, and we have shared our concerns with the European Commission,” Epic concluded. “Barring further obstacles from Apple, we remain ready to launch the Epic Games Store and Fortnite on iOS in the EU in the next two months.”

In case you missed it, EU regulators recently opened a new investigation following allegations that Apple is not complying with EU rules.

The European Commission, which began investigating Apple’s alleged non-compliance in March, has charged the company with breaching the Digital Markets Act, meaning Apple could face a fine of up to 10% of the company’s global annual revenue. That may not sound like much, but when you consider that Apple generates £301 billion ($383 billion) a year, that’s a hefty penalty.

As Tom explained to us at the time, Apple’s previously announced solution to meet the DMA rules has drawn heavy criticism for its fees and limits, making it expensive to launch games or apps outside the App Store — something Tim Sweeney, the head of longtime legal rival Epic Games, called “hot garbage.”