Epic Games, the maker of the popular video game Fortnite, has reached a settlement with Samsung, resolving the antitrust lawsuit it filed against the tech giant last September. In the lawsuit, Epic had accused Samsung of collaborating with Google to restrict competition by automatically blocking app downloads outside the official Google Play and Samsung Galaxy Stores.
Announcing the resolution, Epic’s CEO Tim Sweeney shared via a social media post that Epic Games had decided to dismiss its lawsuit following “productive discussions” between the companies. Sweeney also noted that Samsung had agreed to address Epic’s underlying concerns. Epic’s representatives declined to provide additional details beyond Sweeney’s brief statement, while neither Samsung nor Google responded to requests for comment.
The central issue of the legal dispute revolved around Samsung’s “Auto Blocker” feature, which Epic alleged was purposely designed to hinder competitive app distribution channels. Samsung had previously denied the claims vigorously, characterizing Epic’s accusations as baseless. Likewise, Google described Epic’s lawsuit as meritless, asserting that Android device manufacturers were free to implement security measures suited to protect their users.
The settlement arrives nearly a year after Epic Games launched its own app marketplace aimed at competing against established platforms. Epic’s store offers distribution not only for its own popular gaming titles but also third-party games, intensifying competition within the mobile gaming space.
Prior to this lawsuit against Samsung, Epic Games secured a significant legal victory in 2023 in a landmark case against Google, where a court found Google’s app store practices monopolistic and ordered Google to accommodate rival stores within its platform. However, Google has since appealed the decision, and the court has yet to issue a final ruling on that matter.
