Epic Games Settles Antitrust Case Against Samsung
AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication
In a recent court filing, it has been revealed that Epic Games, the maker of the popular game Fortnite, has settled its antitrust case against Samsung. The case, which was filed in September last year, accused Samsung of collaborating with Google to block rival app stores by default on Samsung phones. Epic CEO Tim Sweeney announced the settlement on X, stating, "We're dismissing our court case against Samsung following the parties' discussions." Sweeney added, "We are grateful that Samsung will address Epic's concerns." An Epic spokesperson declined to provide further comment, directing attention to Sweeney's post. Samsung and Google did not respond to TechCrunch's request for comment on the settlement. The lawsuit had alleged that Samsung's "Auto Blocker" feature, which blocked downloads outside of the Google Play Store and Samsung Galaxy Store, was a coordinated effort to block competition in app distribution. Google had previously called Epic's legal action "meritless," stating that "Android device makers are free to take their own steps to keep their users safe and secure." Samsung had also planned to "vigorously contest Epic Game's baseless claims." The settlement comes nearly a year after Epic launched its own mobile app store to distribute both its own games and third-party titles. Notably, Epic had earlier won a separate antitrust case against Google in 2023, where a judge ordered Google to open its app store to rivals. However, a decision on Google's appeal is still pending. It is unclear what terms the settlement involves, but the outcome is significant for the tech industry, particularly in the context of app distribution and competition.