Epic Games Re-Files Google Antitrust Lawsuit, Reveals Google’s Plans To Buy Them

Over the past year or so, we’ve been keeping tabs on the still ongoing Epic Games vs. Apple antitrust lawsuit. But if you’ll remember, Epic Games also filed a similar lawsuit against Google for the same reason: pulling Fortnite from their storefront after Epic Games surreptitiously introduced a direct payment button within the mobile app.

We haven’t covered this lawsuit as much as the one against Apple frankly because of Apple’s willingness to trade legal blows with Epic. Also, there’s not really much happening with the case except for Judge James Donato denying Google’s motion to dismiss the case in September last year and a motion to delay the proceedings to October 2022, which was also denied by the presiding judge.

In more recent news, Epic Games updated and re-filed their anti-trust complaint with additional details on Google’s alleged monopoly, including sealed documents detailing Google’s deals with Apple, phone manufacturers, and third-party app stores. The amendments to the complaint were added soon after the original lawsuit was linked to a similar antitrust lawsuit filed by 36 states.

Apart from the redacted documents, Epic Games also submitted an unsealed document revealing Google’s plans to buy up the company to prevent them from adding an alternate payment system in the Android version of Fortnite.

“Google has gone so far as to share its monopoly profits with business partners to secure their agreement to fence out competition, has developed a series of internal projects to address the ‘contagion’ it perceived from efforts by Epic and others to offer consumers and developers competitive alternatives, and has even contemplated buying some or all of Epic to squelch this threat,” Epic claimed.

Google’s alleged discussions with its business partners and when they occurred remain sealed. According to Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, Google’s plans to buy them out only came to light recently because of the protective order surrounding case documents. Google, in turn, responded with a statement arguing the merits of the case and the conversations in question.

“Epic’s lawsuit is baseless and mischaracterizes our business conversations. Android provides more choices in mobile devices for developers and consumers,” a Google spokesperson told The Verge.

Epic Games’ update complaint also details Google’s alleged attempts to make side-loading, or direct downloads, more difficult in order to force users to download apps from the Play Store instead. The same argument that can be found in the multi-state antitrust lawsuit that Epic’s complaint has now been linked to.