Next week’s free Epic Games Store titles have been confirmed.
09.03.2024 - 07:31 / gadgets.ndtv.com / Tim Sweeney
Under pressure from European regulators, Apple took a step back in its feud with Epic Games on Friday, clearing the way for Epic to put its own game store on iPhones and iPads in Europe.
Earlier this week, Apple had taken steps to block Epic from starting up a store and bringing back the popular game Fortnite, which Apple removed from its App Store in 2020 after Epic broke the iPhone maker's in-app payment rules in protest.
Apple's decision to open its door to Epic follows the European Union's Thursday deadline for Big Tech companies to comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA), a set of rules that bans Apple and Google from controlling which apps are distributed on devices with the iOS and Android operating systems.
Thierry Breton, the EU's industry chief, said regulators had warned Apple about the iPhone maker's move earlier this week to block Epic's potential return.
"I take note with satisfaction that following our contacts Apple decided to backtrack its decision on Epic exclusion. From Day 2, #DMA is already showing very concrete results!" Breton said on the X social media platform.
Epic and Apple have been in a legal battle since 2020, when the gaming firm alleged that Apple's practice of charging up to 30 percent commissions on in-app payments on its iOS devices violated US antitrust rules. Epic lost its court battle against Apple, and the game maker's gambit to intentionally break Apple's rules as a protest got it banned from Apple's devices.
Epic's victory on Friday leaves it well short of everything it wants from Apple.
Epic CEO Tim Sweeney has criticized Apple's plans for complying with the DMA, under which Apple says it still has the right to exclude third-party app marketplaces from its devices under some circumstances. And Fortnite remains unavailable in the App Store in the United States.
For its part, Apple is grappling with an erosion of its App Store business model at the same time it has told investors that iPhone sales this quarter will be billions of dollars lower than what Wall Street expected.
The most recent tangle between Apple and Epic involved Apple's developer accounts, which are normally a minor but necessary administrative step for developers before selling apps on Apple devices.
Apple on Friday reinstated Epic Games' developer account two days after it had blocked the company from launching its own online marketplace on iPhones and iPads in Europe.
The game developer said it will move on with its plans to bring the Epic Games Store and Fortnite back to iOS in the continent.
"This sends a strong signal to developers that the European Commission will act swiftly to enforce the Digital Markets Act and hold gatekeepers accountable," Epic Games added.
Apple earlier this week
Next week’s free Epic Games Store titles have been confirmed.
Every Thursday at 10 am CT, the Epic Games Store rotates its free game selection and confirms what will be coming the next week. This means Epic Games Store users can no longer claim Call of the Wild: The Angler or Invincible Presents: Atom Eve, but they can claim Islets until April 4. At that time, Islets will rotate out of EGS and the service will add The Outer Worlds and Thief, two big pick-ups for the service.
Next week’s free Epic Games Store title has seemingly leaked ahead of an official announcement on Thursday.
Xbox boss Phil Spencer says he’d like to see other digital storefronts appearing on Xbox consoles in the future.
Apple and other tech giants face another legal fight — this time from the European Commission, which is now investigating the iPhone maker's alleged non-compliance with EU rules.
The Department of Justice and 17 state attorneys general filed a massive lawsuit against Apple on Thursday morning, accusing the company of monopolistic smartphone practices. Meanwhile, Fortnite maker Epic Games has been accusing Apple’s iOS App Store of antitrust violations for years in an ongoing, arduous legal battle.
Next week’s free Epic Games Store title has been confirmed.
Epic Games Inc., the developer behind the popular Fortnite franchise, announced plans for a mobile online store on the iOS and Android platforms.
Epic Games has announced that the Epic Games Store is coming to iOS and Android devices later this year. The Epic Games Store's mobile expansion will allow the storefront to function across all major, non-console platforms.
Next week’s free Epic Games Store titles have been revealed.
The Epic Games Store and many of its users love Thursdays, as it's when one or more free games rotate in and the current selection rotates out. Astro Duel 2 exits the storefront's free game selection today, with Deus Ex: Mankind Divided and The Bridge being free on the Epic Games Store for the next week. Come 10 am CT on March 21, they will rotate out for Call of The Wild: The Angler andInvincible Presents: Atom Eve.
Epic Games Store users can look forward to the platform's upcoming Spring sale, of which many of its heavy hitters have been leaked online. As one of the most prominent PC storefronts next to the likes of Steam and GOG, the Epic Games Store is known to host several big sale events throughout the calendar year, including one during each season and a Mega sale each May.