Aptoide, the popular Google Play alternative for Android devices, is launching a third-party iOS app store in the European Union — the first focused entirely on gaming since the EU’s Digital Markets Act rules came into effect. Aptoide’s iOS game store is being released via a closed launch on Thursday, with access initially restricted to users with invitation-only access codes.
Aptoide CEO Paulo Trezentos told The Verge that the service may be expanded in the future to provide additional content and services. Notably, Aptoide is also the first third-party iOS marketplace in Europe to launch with an Apple-approved in-app purchases solution, which it will provide to developers via an IAP software development kit. The company is taking a new approach to offsetting Apple’s 50 euro cents Core Technology Fee for every annual installation of the store.