Summary in 10 Seconds9. The Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Epic Games, rejecting Apple’s request to delay changing App Store payment rules. In line with the decision, the case returns to the district court to determine how much commission Apple can receive from external links. Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney stated that Apple’s delay tactics are over and described this development as a great victory. Today, we are witnessing a historical turning point in one of the longest-running and harshest legal battles in the technology world.
The defense line that Apple has maintained for years to maintain its unshakable dominance over the App Store has been seriously injured by the latest move by Epic Games. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (9th Circuit Court of Appeals) completely changed the course of the case by stopping the technology giant’s efforts to slow down the process. This critical decision, announced on April 29, 2026, means that Apple must relax its rules that confine developers to its own payment systems.
The court annulled Apple’s previous stay of execution and sent the file back to the lower court. While this situation opens the doors to a new era in the App Store ecosystem, it also directly threatens the commission income of the technology giant. Epic Games won: Apple’s postponement strategy hit the court wall. As those who follow the process closely know, Apple, U.S. He wanted to preserve the current commission structure until his objections to the Supreme Court (US Supreme Court) were concluded.
The company had cited the operational difficulties it would create in having to replace its system twice if the high court ruled in its favor. But the three-judge panel found this argument unconvincing. The court stated that Apple is unlikely to get a positive result from the high court and that the hearings in the lower court will not cause irreparable damage to the company. There is an air of victory on Tim Sweeney’s side.
Immediately after the decision, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney declared his victory in his post on the X platform. Emphasizing that Apple’s delay tactics are over, Sweeney stated that the case will now go before Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers again. According to Sweeney, the focus will now be on exactly how much Apple can charge from applications using rival payment methods to cover its costs. Technical details of the legal process and Apple’s loss The roots of the case date back to the original Epic Games case in 2021.
At the time, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled that Apple should relax its anti-steering rules and allow developers to direct users to external payment options. Although Apple complied with this decision on paper, it only symbolically reduced the commission rates and made the use of external links almost impossible. This situation was interpreted by the court as Apple’s intentional violation of the injunction. A new era begins for developers and users.
So, how will this decision affect the end user? If Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers completely bans Apple from charging commissions on external links or reduces this rate to a reasonable level, we could see serious discounts on in-app purchases. In the interim decision given in December 2025, it was stated that Apple could charge a reasonable fee. Now it will become clear what that reasonable number will be, and whether it will even be a number.
This situation may set a precedent for other platform owners such as Google and may intensify competition in the mobile application market. Editor’s note This decision is the most concrete evidence that the walled garden strategy in the technology world has come to an end. Although Apple pushes legal remedies to the fullest, it seems that the courts now give more weight to developer freedom and competitive market conditions.
In the coming period, the necessity of the App Store to transform into a truly open platform, not just a store, will cause the company to restructure its service revenues.
Comments
You can write your views about this story. Comments may be moderated according to site settings.