As The edge pointed out, though, that the removal of all said paid plans might have happened well before Apple froze updates for the app. You could not purchase such plans either, and all references to them were gone before convincing Apple Mullenweg to add in-app purchases. He added that Apple had previously rejected offers to spark other discussions about paid plans. In other words, Apple may have re-examined the app after the public backlash.
Whatever the motivations, the incident further intensifies control of Apple’s App Store policies. Epic Games has already pressured Apple to reconsider its requirements in hopes of raising more revenue from Fortnite, while Microsoft is focusing on policies that effectively prohibit cloud gaming services. That is on top of anti-trust surveys and a growing coalition of non-gaming companies that demand demands. Simply put, this dust-up happened at the worst possible moment for Apple – a resolution helps WordPress and its users, but will not quell the broader issue.
I’m very grateful that people at Apple are checking back @WordPressiOS and let us know that we do not have to implement in-app purchases to keep updating the app. Bad news travels harder than good, usually, remember to share that they have reversed course.
– Matt Mullenweg (@photomatt) August 23, 2020
