Epic Games vs Google
In recent years, Epic Games, the creator of Fortnite, has been involved in a legal battle with both Apple and Google. The dispute stems from the 30% revenue cut imposed by both companies on transactions made through the App Store and the Play Store, respectively.
In the case of Google, the conflict intensified when Epic Games decided to bypass the Google Play Store and offer Fortnite for Android directly from its website. This move allowed the company to circumvent Google’s in-app purchase fees.
In response, Google removed Fortnite from the Play Store, prompting Epic Games to file an antitrust lawsuit against Google for alleged abuse of monopoly power. The case is still ongoing.
During the court proceedings, it was revealed that Google had proposed a $147 million deal to Epic Games to launch Fortnite on the Android Google Play Store. However, the offer was rejected by Epic Games.
Google’s motivation behind the proposed deal was to prevent a potential trend of popular apps bypassing the official Android store and avoiding Google’s in-app purchase fees. Documents presented in court suggested that Google feared significant financial losses if other game developers followed Epic’s lead and bypassed the Play Store.
In the midst of the legal battle, the future of Fortnite on the Play Store remains uncertain, as Epic Games continues to assert its independence from Google’s platform.
