Epic Games recently concluded a long-standing legal battle with Apple as the US Supreme Court declined to hear appeals from either company, letting the previous judgments from lower courts stand.

The dispute began in 2020 when Epic Games filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple, claiming that Apple was operating as an illegal monopolist by forcing users to download apps from the App Store and make in-app purchases using its own system, through which Apple takes a commission of up to 30%.

While the District Court did not fully label Apple as an antitrust violator, it did call out Apple for anti-steering tactics, which prevented developers from informing users about alternative payment options. As a result, a court ordered Apple to address these practices in 2021, and with the legal battle concluded, Apple must now comply with the court order, allowing app developers to include links and buttons guiding users to alternative payment methods for in-app content.

Apple swiftly made updates to its App Store Review Guidelines and introduced a new section outlining the dos and don’ts regarding external payments for apps, specifically for the iPhone and iPad App Store in the United States. However, Epic Games has announced its intention to contest these guidelines, arguing that Apple is not complying with the injunction in good faith.

It seems that the legal saga between Apple and Epic Games is far from over, so stay tuned for more updates on this ongoing dispute.