> how can you be sure that alternative app stores won’t just be booted off by Apple for $REASON?

The EU law allows for consumers to sideload other app stores on hardware they control. It has no provision that compels Apple to continue doing business with a company in their own app store.

Yes, it is a business decision you need to make to offer a sideload app store and opt-out of the Apple app store. Does it suck for Epic? Yes. But this is the path they chose.

Edit: If you read the Apple letter Epic cites it refers to App Store Review Guidelines, clearly they are terminating an App Store developer account. Nothing stops Apple from minting a fresh Developer Account with only Marketplace capabilities if they apply for a Marketplace account.

That's not how things work, you can only make an alternative app store with Apple's consent, not without. Deleting Epic's dev account means they can't make an alternative app store.

Alternative app marketplaces are required to accept an agreement including payment terms to Apple. It is still a business relationship in Apple's DMA implementation.

Epic is unable to make their own app store without a developer account.

It is unclear exactly what Epic lost access to, but you can have access to the CIP section required to get a certificate with an Alternative Marketplace entitlement without having access to the App Store Connection section which allows you to publish to the App Store.

app store =/= developer account

Just need some context here...one of the biggest companies in the world, ever, with all the financial and legal resources available to them, and you think they aren't playing 5D chess?

Made a mistake, why? They either comply right away, or just pretend to be deaf with their own interpretation, make Epic sue them again, pull the situation for a few years keep profiting off developers with their 30% rent, maybe at the end of it the EU will fine them some peanut and the rest is just profit, can’t understand what the mistake is here

The potential fines aren’t peanuts. From memory, they are up to like 12% on global annual revenue (not profit), or something.

Ah didn’t know it, that would be cool, fingers crossed