Epic Games has claimed that Apple's revised installation process for third-party app marketplaces in the EU demonstrates that the company was deliberately undermining competition through "deceptive design."
In a blog post published Wednesday, the Fortnite developer revealed that user drop-offs during Epic Games Store installations plummeted from 65% to 25% after Apple streamlined the process in iOS 18.6. Apple reduced the installation flow from 15 steps to six and eliminated what Epic called "scare screens" that warned users about potential dangers of installing apps outside the App Store.
"For the first time, we are starting to see iOS users install the Epic Games Store with a success rate approaching Windows users and Apple's own Mac users," Epic said.
The changes came after the European Commission raised concerns in April that Apple made it "overly burdensome and confusing" for users to install alternative app distribution channels under the Digital Markets Act.
Despite the improvements, Epic said Apple's policies remain anti-competitive, citing "junk fees" such as the Core Technology Fee, "discriminatory policies" against developers who support competing stores, and an approval and notarization process that "dictate[s] product design decisions to competing app developers and store developers."
Epic also criticized Google's 12-step installation process on Android, which remains in place, claiming it sabotages Epic Games Store installations more than 50% of the time.
