Epic CEO Pushes Apple to Drop App Store Fee

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney says the company’s long legal fight with Apple has entered a dramatic new phase following a key ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals that reshapes how Apple must treat app developers.

In an extensive interview with The Verge, Sweeney doubled down on his view that Apple has historically imposed unfair costs and restrictions on third-party developers and vowed that his company will not settle for anything less than what he calls a fair and open marketplace.

The appeals court recently rejected part of Apple’s appeal in the long-running Epic Games versus Apple antitrust battle while affirming that developers must be able to link to external payment options in iOS apps without Apple dictating the terms. That decision followed years of litigation over Apple’s App Store policies, which Epic began in 2020 by challenging Apple’s commission on in-app purchases.

Sweeney praised the ruling as a breakthrough for developers and consumers, calling it a rejection of what he labels “junk fees” that Apple historically took from in-app transactions. He said Epic is open to paying Apple for basic app review and security checks, but he firmly rejected any percentage-based fee on revenue generated outside the App Store.

According to Sweeney, this stance is non-negotiable as the case returns to a lower court to determine what constitutes a reasonable fee structure under the latest ruling.

Epic has reportedly spent well over $100 million on legal fees alone, with total costs including lost revenue from years without Fortnite on the iOS App Store potentially exceeding $1 billion.

Critics, however, argue that Epic’s aggressive stance and public criticism have sometimes overshadowed the company’s business challenges and blunted its position with regulators. Although, some supporters say his leadership has helped spark important debates about platform power and developer rights.