Google has set up a task force to prevent Android users from downloading the popular game Fortnite outside of its Play Store, Epic Games alleged in a court filing made public on Monday.
The move helped Google lock in fees from the game but contradicts the idea of Android being an “open” platform, according to a legal filing from Epic, Fortnite.
Epic sued Google and Apple, accusing them of operating a monopoly by charging a 30% fee for in-app purchases. Epic pass away on most targets against Apple, but won request seek permission for developers to provide users with other payment options. Both sides have appealed.
However, the case against Google is more complicated because Android app developers are not obligated to distribute their apps via the Play Store, while Apple’s App Store is the only place where users can download the app.
Epic argues in the lawsuit that the ability for users to “side-load” apps from third-party stores, or directly from the web, is more theory than reality.
When Fortnite – the world’s most popular game – rolled out direct download in August 2018 and made distribution available through Samsung’s Galaxy Store, Google was concerned the trend could spread further and has started launched a campaign to try to prevent users from switching to options outside of the Play Store, according to unverified court filings.
Read more about Apple-Epic match here.
