Apple proposes EU App Store changes for Oct 1, plus Roblox, Pokémon Go and Nordic AI

Apple’s filing sets an October 1 effective date for the new EU terms and moves to replace the two sets of rules publishers previously saw with a single set. The company has also outlined a 15% commission for purchases that originate off the App Store and are completed via linkouts to the web, a proposal that mirrors what Apple has suggested in the US as part of the long-running Apple v Epic litigation. Epic Games responded to Apple’s US filing by noting that, under the Ninth Circuit’s definition of “necessary costs”, Apple admitted it would charge 0% for purchases made via web linkouts — a point Epic flagged publicly. So, between the EU paperwork and the US case there’s a lot of legal and contractual fine print players and developers will want to track closely.

App Tracking Transparency is the other major change Apple is preparing for most EU countries. Germany’s Federal Cartel Office previously concluded that Apple’s ATT framework presented Apple’s own apps with more favourable consent prompts than third-party developers saw, a finding that raised competition concerns. Mobile Dev Memo’s Eric Seufert told our site he expects the ATT adjustments to push opt-in rates higher by a “non-trivial amount,” but that the economic effects will be precedential rather than immediately material. Apple says it has worked closely with the European Commission on the new terms; the Commission has not publicly commented on the company’s announcement so far.

Roblox’s safety picture picked up new oversight this week after a US Senate investigation raised concerns about grooming and alleged sexual abuse connected to the platform. Senators told Roblox they appear to put revenue and engagement ahead of safety measures, and the company’s previous product changes were part of the discussion. Roblox has rolled out age-based accounts and expanded parental controls; Australian regulators, however, found this week that adults were still able to contact children despite those changes. Australia’s internet regulator has given Roblox three months to address the issues it identified, and US congressional inquiries are now underway.

Niantic’s Pokémon Go got a moment to look back and forward when we spoke with Jack Wilcock, head of EMEA marketing, after the game’s 10th anniversary in July. Wilcock discussed long planning cycles for live events and campaigns, and confirmed the team ran a free edition of Go Fest as part of the celebrations. He also spoke about region-exclusive content, citing examples such as Stonjourner — a species that has been UK-only and was inspired by Stonehenge — and partnerships like the one with the National Trust that encourage players to explore outdoor locations in the UK. Wilcock and the team outlined Summer Quest and the logistics behind choosing event locations; the interview mixed practical marketing detail with developer-side constraints rather than fan-service recollection.

The Nordic AI feature collected voices from five people across the region to see how studios are actually using AI today. Dodreams co-founder Mikael Gummerus said AI has been used extensively for data analysis but has so far made little impact on art or Unity development workflows. Tatu Petersen-Jessen of AI-native studio Odd Latent described roles compressing, with single people increasingly covering art, design and code. Tuomas Pelkonen from Nordia Law shifted the conversation away from classic IP fears to what he calls greater current risks: player backlash and “shadow AI” tools being used without formal sign-off. The piece is the first in a multi-part series; the reporter signalled part two will arrive soon.