App StoreSource: Joe Keller / iMore

What you need to know

  • Apple has rejected Facebook's Gaming app from the App Store five times.
  • Apple says the app breaks rules that prohibit apps with the "main purpose" of distributing games.
  • The move is likely to be seen by many as another anti-competitive move by Apple.

A report from the New York Times has revealed that Apple has rejected Facebook Gaming form the App Store five times.

According to the piece:

Executives and engineers from Facebook's games division submitted their new app, Facebook Gaming, to Apple last month for approval to offer it in the iPhone maker's App Store.

Apple considered Facebook's application for a few weeks. This month, it delivered its verdict: denied.

The Facebook team was not surprised. It wasn't the first time Apple had said no to the Facebook Gaming app. Or the second. Or even the third.

Since February, Apple has rejected at least five versions of Facebook Gaming, according to three people with knowledge of the companies, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the details are confidential. Each time, the people said, Apple cited its rules that prohibit apps with the "main purpose" of distributing casual games.

As the report notes, Facebook Gaming is likely being hurt by the fact it could be seen to directly compete with Apple's own sale of games on the App Store, as well as Apple Arcade. Facebook Gaming was announced back in April, and features live streaming, social networking for gamers and simple arcade games delivered through HTML5. The app was approved for Google Play back in April, however, has been rejected five times by Apple. Facebook is reportedly considering releasing the app without any playable games at all, as perhaps the only way around Apple's stringent rules.