A California jury has found that Google Play is a monopolistic marketplace in a win for Epic Games.
The Epic Games vs. Google lawsuit has concluded in the state of California. The jury has determined that Google Play is an anticompetitive market and the court's work on remedies will begin in January.
Victory over Google! After 4 weeks of detailed court testimony, the California jury found against the Google Play monopoly on all counts. The Court’s work on remedies will start in January. Thanks for everyone’s support and faith! Free Fortnite! https://t.co/ITm4YBHCus
— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) December 12, 2023
Tim Sweeney took to Twitter to celebrate the victory. It remains to be seen just what this will mean for the future of Fortnite on mobile platforms. There is also a possibility that Epic Games Store could launch on Android as a result of this case. This as a uninamous verdict that came after only three hours of deliberation. The four-week trial focused on Google Play's payment system that powers many app experiences on Android OS. In a company post, Epic Games heralded this moment as "a win for all developers." Over 95% of Android apps are distributed through Google Play Store, creating an uphill battle for the tech behemoth in trying to spin the facts in any positive way.
Where things go from here remain to be seen, as Google will attempt to appeal today's ruling according to VP of Government Affairs and Public Policy Wilson White. While Apple was able to skirt the hammer of justice when it comes to App Store, Epic lawyer Gary Bornstein has said that "Apple is not the 'get out of jail for free' card that Google wants it to be." Epic presented evidence of Google executives engaging in some anticompetitive practices like paying game maker Activision Blizzard to discourage the company from opening a rival app store on Android.
Google claims that it is an Apple competitor and they are merely defending its market position. The San Francisco jury was not buying the argument, but we will have to keep our eyes on future appeals before "Victory over Google" is a certainty for Epic Games.
Asif Khan is the CEO, EIC, and majority shareholder of Shacknews. He began his career in video game journalism as a freelancer in 2001 for Tendobox.com. Asif is a CPA and was formerly an investment adviser representative. After much success in his own personal investments, he retired from his day job in financial services and is currently focused on new private investments. His favorite PC game of all time is Duke Nukem 3D, and he is an unapologetic fan of most things Nintendo. Asif first frequented the Shack when it was sCary's Shugashack to find all things Quake. When he is not immersed in investments or gaming he is a purveyor of fine electronic music. Asif also has an irrational love of Cleveland sports.