In a new email sent to affected developers, Apple warns it will remove apps from the App Store that haven’t been “updated in a significant amount of time” and gives developers just 30 days to update them.
“You can keep this app available for new users to discover and download from the App Store by submitting an update for review in 30 days,” Apple writes in the email. “If no update is submitted in 30 days, the app will be removed from sale.” While Apple will remove the outdated apps from the App Store, any previously downloaded apps will remain on users’ devices.
A number of app makers, like Protopop Games developer Robert Kabwe, have expressed their concerns about the change.
I feel sick. Apple just sent me an email saying they're removing my free game Motivoto because its more than 2 years old.
It's part of their App improvement system.
This is not cool. Console games from 2000 are still available for sale.
This is an unfair barrier to indie devs. pic.twitter.com/7XNcLfiEcR
— Protopop Games (@protopop) April 23, 2022
Developer Emilia Lazer-Walker also reported that Apple is removing “a few” of her older games from the App Store.
.@apple is removing a few of my old games b/c they have “not been updated in a significant amount of time”
Games can exist as completed objects! These free projects aren’t suitable for updates or a live service model, they’re finished artworks from years ago. pic.twitter.com/iflH70j7q4
— emilia ✨is very sick (@lazerwalker) April 23, 2022
MacDailyNews Take: Hopefully, Apple will take into account that older games may not need an update (outside of removing outdated APIs or such) and not remove them from the store simple based on upload dates.
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