Epic CEO: "Samsung Has Addressed Our Concerns"
Details of the Agreement Remain Confidential
Epic Games, the developer of Fortnite, has abruptly withdrawn its antitrust lawsuit against Samsung Electronics.
Epic Games officials are introducing the domestic expansion launch strategy of 'Fortnite' at a press conference held at Andaz Hotel in Gangnam-gu, Seoul on the 11th of last month. Photo by Yonhap News
On July 7 (local time), Epic Games announced in documents submitted to the U.S. District Court in San Francisco that it would withdraw its claims against Samsung in its antitrust lawsuit against both Samsung and Google (Alphabet). However, only some claims against Google were withdrawn. As a result, Samsung is now completely free from related legal risks.
Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, briefly mentioned on X (formerly Twitter), "After discussions between the parties, we have decided to withdraw the lawsuit against Samsung," and added, "We appreciate that Samsung has addressed Epic's concerns." The specific terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
In September 2024, Epic Games claimed that Google and Samsung had colluded to make it difficult to install its own app marketplace, the Epic Games Store, and demanded an end to anti-competitive practices and compensation for damages. The company specifically pointed out that the security program pre-installed on Samsung smartphones was blocking the installation of competing app marketplaces. Although the program was installed under the pretext of preventing malicious software, Epic Games argued that it actually served as a means to restrict competition.
However, with this agreement with Samsung, only the lawsuit against Google remains. Previously, in 2023, Epic Games won another antitrust lawsuit against Google by jury verdict. As a result of that ruling, Google was required to lift restrictions on the installation of competing marketplaces outside its own platform. Google's appeal of that case is ongoing.
According to Bloomberg News, although Epic Games launched its own app marketplace in August 2023 to distribute Fortnite and other games, users are still heavily reliant on default smartphone app marketplaces, making it difficult for Epic Games to enter the market.
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