Full text now public: What the EU’s Apple decision means for your DTC strategy

Andrew Dubatowka

Head of Marketing

Announcements

The European Commission has published the 68-page non-compliance decision from April 23, 2025, giving developers their first full look at why Apple’s “EU Business Terms” still violate the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Apple now has 60 calendar days from notification (deadline ≈ June 22, 2025) to fix the issues.

Apple has already been hit with a €500 million fine, and if it misses the deadline, it will incur further penalties of several million euros per day.

Key takeaways for mobile game developers

The European Commission decided that Apple’s 17% “Commission Fee” and €0.50 Core Technology Fee make steering not “free of charge,” violating Article 5(4) of the DMA. You should expect Apple’s App Store guidelines to be updated before June 22, 2025 with more favorable terms around alternative payments and webshops.

Apple’s reaction (and why the clock is still ticking)

Apple called the ruling “yet another example of the European Commission unfairly targeting Apple” and said it will appeal. However, an appeal doesn’t halt enforcement. EU acts remain binding unless the General Court grants interim measures, which are rarely given and require proof of serious, irreparable harm.

Bottom line: absent a successful interim-relief bid, Apple must publish new, fee-free terms by late June or start paying daily penalties.

What studios should do now

Reality	Recommended move
Current App Store rules still impose the 17% commission, €0.50 fee, and linking restrictions.	Plan, but don’t launch. Ensure you’re able to make specific changes to just your iOS experience for EU players. If you have a webshop, be ready to toggle on in-game links that promote and direct link players to your webshop. If you don’t have a webshop, consider implementing an alternative checkout directly into your game.
Apple has 60 days, penalties are massive, and an appeal does not pause the deadline.	Expect quick changes. If possible, use a development path that allows you to ship updates without a full client build and submission for App Store review.
Moving payments outside the App Store means you need to cover the things Apple usually handles like VAT compliance, fraud protection, refunds, dispute management, and player support.	Line up compliance now. Using an MoR like Neon ensures comprehensive compliance, allows you to get up and running quickly, and gives you confidence from day one.

Take-away

Apple has two choices: scrap its steering fees and link restrictions or pay millions per day starting late June. Either way, use the next few weeks to polish to plan and develop so you can convert your EU players to lower-fee payment flows the moment Apple updates their guidelines.