It took more than four years, but Epic Games finally strongly reinforced its antitrust case against Apple in its antitrust case, with the market price of the world’s most valuable company $ 3.2 trillion. And now it is possible that Fldgates are open to bring competition and financial benefits for mobile game companies on iOS.
Epic CEO Tim Sweeny and his lawyers argued that Apple was a threatening that was afraid of mobile game manufacturers by punishing the epic to force Fortnite from the app store. It also accused Apple of “malicious compliance” as the iPhone manufacturer opposed regulatory measures in the European Union. For most parts, Apple managed to block the epic games in the court and delay a favorable decision received by the epic.
But this week, the US District Court Judge Yavon Gonzalez Rogers changed that Apple failed to follow his decision in 2021 and hence it was in the court contempt for “wilful violations” of his verdict, which found Apple to blame from nine out of 10 major mistakes allegations. The decision includes he won by Epic-an order that it was not right for Apple to ban game manufacturers from steering users to off-store websites to purchase items at low prices. The judge felt that this Apple rule stopped competition and damaged consumers, who had to pay high prices due to the sale of 30% of Apple’s all app store items.
“Effective immediately Apple will no longer disrupt the developers’ ability to communicate with users.
They levy or impose a new commission on off-app shopping, ”by Gonzalez Rogers.
In a statement, a spokesman for Apple said, “We strongly disagree with the decision. We will follow the court order and we will appeal.”
Effects around the world were heard. This was a major theme at the Gamescom Latum Big Festival event in Sau Paulo, Brazil, where I spent the week. Berkeley Egens, the Chief Marketing and Development Officer at XSolla, who stated on stage with mobile game gods that it was a big new day in the sports industry. XSolla already operates more than 500 webshops for game manufacturers as an alternative to app store.
Sweeni did not waste any time to celebrate, as he tweeted about the victory of the court, “No fees on web transactions. Sports for Apple Tax,” Apple purchase from app store purchase Reference to 15% to 30% fee of Apple on developer revenue. He said that “junk fees are now dead here in the United States as they are in Europe under the Digital Markets Act. Illegal here, illegal there.”
And tomorrow epic game Announced An update for the launch of EPIC Games Store Revenue Share and a new webshop feature, both start in June 2025. Sweeni said that out-of-app-store shopping at web shops will start in June.
Now Epic Games Store Game is charging 0% fee for the first $ 1 million per year for developers per year.
Starting from June 2025, we process for payment of any epic game store, developers will pay 0% revenue stake in their first $ 1,000,000 per app per year, and then regularly 88%/12% revenue share when they earn more than that.
In June 2025, the epic is also releasing a new feature, enabling developers to launch their own webshop hosted by Epic Games Store. These webshop players can offer out-of-app purchases, as a more cost-effective option for in-app shopping, where Apple, Google and others charge excessive fees. With new legal decisions, the developers will be able to send players from sports to digital purchases from webshops on any platform, which allows it, including iOS in the European Union and the United States, said Epic.
As an additional bonus, players spent in epic webshops will also receive 5% epic awards on all their purchases.
Meanwhile, XSolla has long offered a webshop as an alternative to -genemer generating revenue for game developers. Main strategy and communication officer Chris Havish said in an interview with Gamesbits
He said, on average, the webshops developers of XSolla increase revenue from 10% to 16%, of which more than many revenue is generated.
Havish said, “The order is immediately effective. This (Apple) is not being sidelined by chasing any appeal.” “We think that this new rule actually creates a clear opportunity for developers. And now they can promote their web shops within their game without any reservation. They can directly link their web shops with their game. They can also strengthen the players to set as a specific IAP, which is ready to buy directly with a signal tap.”
He said, “And not only this. It removes the obstacles that were actually preventing developers from communicating with their players in the app to tell them that they can go out of the app and all of that, all the intimidation strategies and all things, roadblocks, speed collisions that have been put in Apple, now all have been blocked.
In the European Union, Apple was forced to enable alternative webshops by regulators with the enactment of the Digital Markets Act, which aims to prevent “gatekeeper platforms” from anticomotive behavior. Apple allowed developers to withdraw from the store, but it established 27% core technology fee for those doing so. Effectively stopped the developers from taking that step. For such behavior, the European Union fined Apple 500 million euros.
Hewish said, “Now, the ruling said that there is no additional fee, whatever they are doing, so it seems that the judge has taken away everything”.
“When it is seen in the totality of the antitrust case, there were 10 issues and only one of them went into the path of the epic. It seems like a small win. Apple was stopped from saying that developers can not do people outside the app store. Are, hugging web shops where the number of players going to web shops increased.
Havish said that the retention rate on web shops has climbed 30% to 40% range. This is with all the friction that were in place because Apple warned of the risks of moving away from the app store.
“All those obstacles are removed. The sky is actually the limit, and we think there is a tremendous opportunity for developers,” said Hevish. “Their players can have direct relationships. If you are a mobile developer, it is a huge opportunity to go fast. They should actually take advantage of this thundcarlap bullet.”
Others agreed. The app charge CEO Maor Sason said in a statement, “In the app charge, we have long believed that the players are worth the choice – and that the publishers deserve a direct relationship with their audience. Recently the decision of the US court has confirmed what many of our customers have already proved – when you give more options to the players, they do not buy more.”
SASON said, “We see this every day in data. Web stores drive high conversion rates, better margins, and deep player’s engagement. Breaking these obstacles will not only benefit the developers – it will lead to a healthy, more durable ecosystem. Where players win, the publishers grow, and even the apple can benefit from the increased levy and even the apple can be benefited from the innovation. Is.”
As a payment provider for mobile gaming, Sasan said he welcomes the ruling. It gives more studios to the studio for the construction of DTC strategies without fear of rejection, obscation or policy whiplash.
“He said, we are not naive. Apple still has immense power on the ecosystem, and the enforcement is a long road before it becomes reality. But for now, the decision sends a powerful signal – the walls are breaking.
And in a LinkedIn Post, CEO of Cameo, Steven Galenis said, “I am thrilled about yesterday’s federal decision that Apple violated the antitrust laws, a big win for the creators everywhere. 30% Apple Tax has put the burden of talent for a long time and can protect them from fulfilling their compositions.
He said, ” CamiaWe have been telling about the loss in the ecosystem for a long time. For example, after the top of 30% tax of Apple, manufacturers earn only 52.5% of their cameo booking fee. To achieve equality with what they earn on the web, creators need to charge those who buy 42% more than the same video cost on the web. By making cases worse, we were clearly not allowed to warn consumers in our app that prices are more in our iOS app vs. Cameo.comBy doing this, we were excluded from the app store in the past. ,
As a developer, it puts it on a cameo in a major bind, Galanis said.
“Do we force talent to give ourselves the same price on the app vs web, meaning they earn less for the same work (due to which many of our top talents have been” unavailable “in iOS and Android apps), or have we allowed them to jack their prices up to 42% in the APP, so that they can pay equal work for equal work.
He said that Apple’s restrictive policies have stopped innovation. Despite being an award -winning 4.9 Star app, our team has long developed on our iOS app because encouraging orders to flow through IAP means high prices for customers and less earnings for creators.
“Over the years our leadership team has debated our consumer app to completely shut down because it was far behind our web experience,” he said. “Thanks to Epic Games vs. Apple Case, we are looking for a way for a fair app ecosystem, where manufacturers can detect new platforms, use better payment options, and create strong connections with fans. Can imagine a world where talent maintains more power and innovation for his earnings – which is the ruling of the future.
Sweeni, the person who started the rebellion, said that Fortnight would soon return to the app store, and offer a peace proposal: If Apple expands the friction-free, apple-free structure of the court around the world, the epic game will return the Fortnite in the app store around the world and leave the current and future prosecutors on the subject.
Disclosure: Gamescom Latum paid my way to Brazil.
