App created outside XCode gets "XCode Beta"-error when trying to submit for external Test Flight resting review

Background

I'm developing a game using a game engine that exports an (unsigned) app bundle for macOS. So to get this on the mac App Store I've managed to set up an entitlements file, embedded the required provisioning profile, codesign and finally package the app into a signed pkg that I've uploaded via the Transporter app without any errors or warnings during upload or Apple processing afterwards. With the help of https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/725694 I was also able to add the correct additional entitlements to get Test Flight to allow (internal) testing of the app. This now works and the app is listed as "Ready to submit".

XCode beta error issue

However, if I try to add external testers to this build and click the Submit for review button I now get the following error:

This build is using a beta version of Xcode and can’t be submitted. Make sure you’re using the latest version of Xcode or the latest seed release found on the releases tab in News and Updates

Which makes no sense as the build has not been built, packaged or uploaded using Xcode and I've never had a beta version of XCode installed.

Does anyone know what is causing this error with the build and how to get around it?

Replies

While not quite resolved yet. I've narrowed this down a little to be due to some missing keys in the info.plist of the bundle. It seems that XCode adds a bunch of keys starting with DT* (like DTPlatformBuild, DTXcodeBuild, DTSDKBuild etc) and these are missing since the bundle was not created by XCode App Store Connect thinks they're invalid, which it seems to interpret as being a beta version of XCode. It's however still unclear to me exactly what DT* keys are needed and what they should contain.