Last Wednesday, Apple escalated a longstanding feud with Epic Games by blocking the game developer from launching its own online marketplace

Apple reversed its decision to block Fortnite video game developer Epic Games from launching its own online marketplace for iPhones and iPads in Europe on Friday but Apple has now cleared the way.

Last Wednesday, Apple escalated a longstanding feud with Epic Games by blocking the game developer from launching its own online marketplace.

The two companies have been involved in a legal battle since 2020, when Epic accused Apple of violating U.S. antitrust rules by charging up to 30% commissions on in-app payments on its iPhone Operating System (iOS) devices.

Apple’s decision to allow Epic to proceed with its plans follows the European Union’s deadline last Thursday, requiring big tech companies to comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which is a set of rules banning Apple and Google from controlling which apps can be distributed on devices with iOS or Android operating systems.

Regulators reportedly warned Apple about its decision to block Epic’s potential return, EU industry chief Thierry Breton said.

I take note with satisfaction that following our contacts, Apple decided to backtrack its decision on Epic exclusion, Breton posted on X. From Day 2, DMA is already showing very concrete results.

Epic ultimately lost its court battle on U.S. antitrust rules violations, and the game developer’s plan to break Apple’s rules in protest got the popular Fortnite game banned from Apple devices. And while Friday’s decision is a victory for Epic, it falls short of everything they want from Apple.

Still, Epic has remained silent on Apple’s recent decisions on this issue.

On March 6, Epic posted on X that Apple had terminated its developer account, adding that the company could no longer develop its Epic Games Store for iOS.

It added: This is a serious violation of the EU’s Digital Markets Act, Epic posted. We will continue to fight to get back on iOS!