This is a PR move. They would have known they’d get kicked off for adding their own payment system.
They didn't make this in the time it took Apple to reject it. It's all pre-planned
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6B4glqJFz0&feature=emb_rel_...
They didn't make this in the time it took Apple to reject it. It's all pre-planned
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6B4glqJFz0&feature=emb_rel_...
(FWIW I despise many of Epic's decisions, particularly their hostile attitude towards Linux as a platform, so no, I'm not biased towards them.)
Besides that, Epic themselves play Gatekeeper through the Epic Game Store and pay big money to ensure they are the Gatekeeper (excluding retail and other platforms), made on kids by loot boxing them.