With the entry into force of the Mobile Software Competition Act (MSCA) in Japan in December 2025, the Epic Game Shop has now been launched on iPhone in Japan. Similar to the EU Digital Markets Act, MSCA requires support for alternative application shops and payment options.
Epic’s official statement states: “The apples continue to prevent third-party app stores from competing with App Store and block third-party app stores on iPad. We urge the Japan Fair Trading Commission to strictly enforce the ban on illegal fees for apples and to create obstacles to consumer rights and market competition.” Apples charge 5 per cent of the core technical commission for all in-house purchases downloaded from third-party shops. Apples also require developers to track and report all transactions, even if they are not completed. This has created confusion and increased costs and has prevented developers from placing their applications in competing applications. Therefore, we will not post other developers’ applications to Apple Applications.” Epic also noted that apples required a nine-step installation process for their App Store in Japan, further hindering competition and user selection. At the beginning of the app store on the European line, apples required users to complete the installation process of 15 steps, but under regulatory pressure they were eventually simplified to six steps. This resulted in a 60 per cent reduction in the loss of users during installation.
According to Epic, the company “will continue to work with Japanese regulators to stop these anti-competitive practices so that developers and consumers can benefit from the law. We urge the Japan Fair Trading Commission to strictly enforce the ban on the collection of illegal fees for apples and to create frictions that impede consumer rights and market competition.” Following the implementation of the EU Digital Markets Act, the Epic Game Shop came online at the iOS end of the EU region in May 2025. The store was also reconnected in the United States, following a District Court ruling that apples could not charge fees for in-house purchases outside their App Store. The legal dispute between Epic and Apple began in 2020 when Apple dropped Fortress Night from App Store on suspicion of bypassing the platform.
