Epic Games Criticizes UK’s App Store Reform Plan as Insufficient

However, the regulator stopped short of requiring the tech giants to open their app stores to rival marketplaces in the UK. That contrasts with steps taken in other regions, including the European Union and the United States, where recent rulings have compelled broader structural changes to app distribution and payment systems.

According to a statement, the CMA’s proposals focus primarily on making app store operations clearer and more predictable for developers rather than forcing fundamental changes to how Apple and Google run their platforms. The measures are designed to address concerns about how apps are reviewed, ranked and surfaced in search results, as well as how data is collected and used.

Under the outlined commitments, Apple and Google have agreed to provide greater visibility into their app review processes, ranking systems and search mechanisms. The CMA said the companies will also improve transparency in their dealings with developers, particularly those offering competing services. In addition, developers would be able to request “interoperability features” more easily, potentially allowing their apps to integrate more seamlessly with core platform functions.

The regulator stated that these transparency changes are scheduled to take effect on April 1, 2026, pending feedback from industry participants. Developers have until March 3, 2026, to submit comments through the CMA’s website.

The CMA also indicated that discussions with both companies are continuing in areas such as app distribution and so-called steering practices, which concern how developers can direct users toward alternative payment options. An update on those talks is expected in the first half of the year, per a statement.

Related: Epic Games Brings in Veteran Tech Lawyer as Legal Chief

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Not everyone is satisfied with the scope of the proposed commitments. Epic Games, the maker of Fortnite and a long-time critic of Apple and Google’s app store policies, responded sharply on social media.

“The commitments Apple and Google made to the UK Competition and Markets Authority fail to open the mobile app ecosystem to real competition,” Epic said in a post from its Newsroom account on X.

“Gatekeepers continue to block competing app stores and payment systems with outright prohibitions as well as scare screens and junk fees.”

The company added: “The agreed changes won’t correct the core anticompetitive business practices that the US courts and the European Union are addressing. The CMA must prioritize addressing these barriers to competition in order for UK consumers to gain the benefits of real competition that everyone deserves.”

The UK’s approach differs from actions taken elsewhere. In the United States, a federal judge ruled last year that Apple must eliminate restrictions on how developers handle payments for U.S. customers. Those changes came into force in May 2025. Meanwhile, the European Union’s Digital Markets Act has required Apple to allow greater competition within its App Store ecosystem, though some developers have expressed dissatisfaction with how those changes were implemented.

Google, for its part, already permits alternative app stores on Android devices globally and allows different payment options in certain markets, though critics, including Epic, have objected to what they describe as “scare screens” that appear when users attempt to use alternative payment systems.

While the CMA’s proposals mark another step in global scrutiny of dominant mobile platforms, they signal a more incremental strategy in the UK.

Source: Mobile Gamer