Epic Games, the creator of Fortnite, has come out on top in its high-profile antitrust trial against Google by alleging that the Play app store operated as an illegal monopoly.
On Monday, a jury sided with Epic Games in an antitrust case against Google, which could potentially reshape how app marketplaces like Google Play operate.
The unanimous decision ended a three-year legal battle among these companies. Epic, the creator of the popular online multiplayer game Fortnite, filed the first case against Google in 2020, alleging that the tech giant's app store practices violated federal and California state antitrust laws.
The lawsuit against Google centered on Epic's bold move to gather app developers, both big and small, against mobile software gatekeepers. Epic's actions were a part of its attempt to challenge Apple and Google. Epic's battle focused on its hit game Fortnite, which is available on nearly every software platform for free-to-play and cross-platform accessibility, despite the current app store and Google Play drama.
Epic argues that both tech giants compel app users through their own systems for payments and significantly cut into app-mediated revenue, violating antitrust laws. In their defense, Apple and Google generally point towards user-driven app choices as a safeguard, signaling concerns about security regarding the divided wish to steer app users towards a centralized software authority.
"Epic's CEO Tim Sweeney shared his excitement on social media site X, saying the ruling 'Google Play is a monopoly' on Monday."
Victory over Google! After 4 weeks of detailed court testimony, the California jury found against the Google Play monopoly on all counts. The Court’s work on remedies will start in January. Thanks for everyone’s support and faith! Free Fortnite! https://t.co/ITm4YBHCus
— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) December 12, 2023
Regarding the management of their third-party apps, Apple and Google function differently; Android permits sideloading of apps, but iOS does not. Even while this fact changed the course of Epic's conflict with Google, it nevertheless declared victory.
Even with these disclosures, it remained unclear if Epic would be able to overcome Google Play's very closed ecosystem, but it managed to triumph.
"Today's ruling is a win for all app developers and customers worldwide," Epic Games stated in a statement about the ruling. "It proves that Google's app store practices are unlawful, overcharging, anticompetitive, and misusing their dominant position to stifle innovation."
Huge commended the steps that may put further limitations on Apple's and Google's aggressive software investigations. The company cited the EU's Digital Markets Act and Digital Services Act, the UK's Digital Markets Unit, and the Competition and Markets Authority.
Google's Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Policy Wilson White confirmed the company's intention to appeal in a statement sent to TechCrunch.
Even while the Play Store only makes up a small part of Google's massively lucrative search business, it is a crucial arbitrator for hundreds of millions of smartphones and tablets.
Google may be forced to give the Android app store additional rights, which could result in a loss of income from app-mediated transactions.
In 2018, Epic started directing Fortnite players away from Google's Play Store, prompting direct downloads. In 2020, Epic released Fortnite via Google's official app marketplace but criticized the platform for discouraging users from downloading third-party apps. Now, the popular game isn't found on Google Play or installable on iOS devices via Apple's App Store.
While we've heard about Epic's multi-front battle with Google, it doesn't seem to be ending soon. However, following an unexpectedly favorable ruling in court and the massive launch of Lego Fortnite last week, which attracted over 2.4 million concurrent players, everything seems to be building up for Epic's move.