Skip to main content

Epic Games sues Google, Apple for alleged app store monopolies

Epic Games filed suit against Google for alleged monopolistic and anticompetitive app store practices, just hours after Fortnite was taken down from the Google Play Store and the gaming studio filed a lawsuit against Apple on similar grounds. Google’s antitrust behavior, Epic Games argues, breaks Android’s original “open ecosystem” promises and eliminates consumer choice.

In its complaint filed Thursday, August 13, Epic Games says that such anticompetitive policies, which violate both the Sherman Act and California’s Cartwright Act, have enabled Google to build a monopoly and stifled “competition in the distribution of Android apps using myriad contractual and technical barriers.”

Epic Games is taking Google to court on essentially two charges: The latter’s alleged monopoly over how Android apps are distributed and the Google Play Store’s digital goods tax that lets Google siphon off 30% of every purchase made inside an app like Fortnite. The lawsuit is largely identical to the one Epic Games filed against Apple earlier Thursday, and is the latest chapter in the gaming studio’s campaign against the companies behind the two biggest mobile platforms.

“If not for Google’s anticompetitive behavior, the Android ecosystem could live up to Google’s promise of open competition, providing Android users and developers with competing app stores that offer more innovation, significantly lower prices, and a choice of payment processors,” Epic Games further wrote in the lawsuit.

However, Epic Games’ battle with Google is far less intense since Android has relatively lax boundaries when compared to Apple’s walled garden on iOS. You can still install Fortnite from outside Google Play Store through alternate sources like Epic’s own sideloading launcher.

When contacted aboiut the lawsuit, a Google spokesperson told Digital Trends the company doesn’t have any further comment, and instead shared the statement Google released when it kicked Fortnite from the Play Store: “For game developers who choose to use the Play Store, we have consistent policies that are fair to developers and keep the store safe for users. While Fortnite remains available on Android, we can no longer make it available on Play because it violates our policies. However, we welcome the opportunity to continue our discussions with Epic and bring Fortnite back to Google Play.”

Epic Games said that it does not seek “monetary compensation” or “favorable treatment” but “injunctive relief that would deliver Google’s broken promise: An open, competitive Android ecosystem for all users and industry participants.”

Interestingly, the lawsuit also claims Google intervened and blocked a potential deal between OnePlus and Epic Games. The partnership would have allowed Epic Games to preload Fortnite on OnePlus phones and hence bypass the Google Play Store’s taxes. Epic Games adds that a similar, potential agreement with LG also couldn’t go through because the phone manufacturer had a contract “to block side downloading off Google Play Store this year.”

We’ve reached out to OnePlus and LG for confirmation and we’ll update the story when we hear back.

Editors' Recommendations

Shubham Agarwal
Shubham Agarwal is a freelance technology journalist from Ahmedabad, India. His work has previously appeared in Firstpost…
Fortnite’s Epic Games to pay $520 million over children’s privacy violations
Gold characters in Fortnite.

The Federal Trade Commission announced that it will fine Fortnite developer Epic Games $520 million over violations of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act.
In a press release, FTC Chair Lina M. Khan states that "Epic used privacy-invasive default settings and deceptive interfaces that tricked Fortnite users, including teenagers and children." The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a federal court order forcing Epic Games to pay $275 million for violating the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act as well as an additional $245 million in refunds to customers.

Epic Games will also update Fortnite to require that voice and text communications are off by default for children and teens playing the game. U.S. Attorney General Vanita Gupta even commented as part of this announcement, stating that "this proposed order sends a message to all online providers that collecting children’s personal information without parental consent will not be tolerated." 
The FTC has gotten much stricter in regard to the video game industry recently. Earlier this month, the FTC made game industry headlines when it announced it's filing a lawsuit with Microsoft over its impending acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Although the video game industry has remained somewhat unscathed from government scrutiny for some time, that may be starting to change. The press release announcing this settlement boasts that this is "FTC’s largest refund amount in a gaming case, and its largest administrative order in history."
Still, even this settlement is really just a drop in the bucket for Epic Games, which has a valuation of about $31.5 billion as of April 2022.

Read more
The U.K. wants to break up Google and Apple’s cloud gaming stranglehold
Playing Diablo Immortal on the Asus ROG Phone 5.

The U.K.'s Competition and Market Authority (CMA) is opening an investigation into Apple and Google's dominance of the mobile browser and cloud gaming markets, the body announced today. Both companies could face fines and additional regulation if found guilty of anticompetitive behavior.

The investigation comes as a result of a consultation the body had launched in June, finding that Apple and Google's duopoly on mobile allowed them to control not just operating systems, but app stores and web browsers. The CMA says that both companies controlled 97% of all mobile browsing experiences in the U.K. in 2021 and notes that they could effectively control cloud gaming through browser restrictions. The consultation revealed support from browser vendors and cloud gaming service providers who claim to be limited by the duopoly, with about 86% requesting for an in-depth investigation.

Read more
You can try Google Play Games on PC today as beta expands to the U.S.
Google Play Games on PC beta

Google has launched the open beta for Google Play Games for PC in the U.S. The tech giant made the announcement in a blog post on Wednesday, saying that the beta is available for download in seven other countries as well, including Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, and Singapore.

"We’re thrilled to expand our platform to more markets for players to enjoy their favorite games on Google Play," said Google Play Games director Arjun Dayal. "As we move towards a full release, we will continue to add new features and evaluate developer and player feedback."

Read more