October 1st 2024.
It seems like the ongoing feud between Epic Games and major tech companies is far from over. The gaming giant has recently filed a new lawsuit against Google and Samsung, accusing them of colluding to block competition in app distribution.
This isn't the first time we've seen Epic Games take legal action against tech giants. Last year, they sued Apple for removing their popular game Fortnite from the App Store. The reason behind this move was Epic Games' protest against Apple's 30% fee for in-app purchases. In response, the game developer added their own payment method, which violated Apple's guidelines.
Google followed suit and also removed Fortnite from the Google Play Store. This led to another lawsuit, with Epic Games eventually winning on all counts against Google for breaching anti-trust laws. However, the case against Apple resulted in a mixed verdict, with Epic Games winning on one count and Apple being prohibited from prohibiting external payment links.
Now, Epic Games has set their sights on Samsung and Google, claiming that they are working together to block competition in app distribution. This is due to Samsung's default Auto Blocker feature, which requires users to disable it in order to install third-party apps like Fortnite. According to Epic Games, this feature solidifies Google Play Store's monopoly on app distribution and makes it harder for other stores to compete on a level playing field.
In a press briefing, Epic Games stated that Samsung and Google have a history of making agreements to protect Google's monopoly power. They believe that the Auto Blocker feature was intentionally designed to block competition and are asking the court to eliminate it by default.
Google has responded to these allegations, with their VP of Engineering, Dave Kleidermacher, calling the lawsuit "meritless and dangerous." He also clarified that Google did not request Samsung to create the Auto Blocker feature and that it was implemented for user safety, not to limit access to a specific game.
It's unclear how far this lawsuit will go, but based on the previous case against Apple, we can expect it to be a messy battle with lots of embarrassing leaks. In fact, one of the revelations from the Apple case was how Epic Games offered Sony a large sum of money to secure exclusive rights for PlayStation games on their Epic Games Store.
While we wait to see how this lawsuit plays out, you can stay updated by signing up for our newsletter or following us on social media. And if you have any thoughts on this ongoing legal battle, feel free to leave a comment or send us an email. We always love hearing from our readers.
In the end, it's clear that Epic Games is not backing down from their fight against tech giants. Whether it's to protest against high fees or to promote competition, they are determined to shake up the industry and change the rules of the game. Only time will tell how successful they will be in their quest.
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