The tech titan has gone to the courts begging a U.S. judge not to greenlight the dramatic overhaul of the Google Play Store that Fortnite makers Epic Games are gunning for. In a fiery filing, Google claims Epic's proposed shake-up "would make it nearly impossible" for the company to compete effectively.
This legal salvo comes after Epic last year convinced a jury
that Google's stranglehold over Android app downloads and developer payments
was straight-up stifling competition. Not ones to back down from a fight, the
gaming rebels have now called on the court to bulldoze barriers and make it way
easier for users to snag apps from other sources beyond Google's walled garden.
But Google's digging in its heels, warning that giving Epic
Games the keys to the Play Store kingdom would "harm the privacy, security
and overall experience" for everyone from consumers to developers to
manufacturers. Yikes!
The search giant argues it already played nice by striking a
$700 million settlement allowing more payment options for in-app purchases.
"Those remedies fully address the issues Epic raised at trial,"
Google insists.
Epic Demanding the Court Approval
Not to be outdone, Epic is demanding the court swing open
the gates to let its Epic Games Store roll onto Android turf without
"delays and barriers." A hearing on their proposed injunction isn't
until May 23rd, but the brinksmanship is already reaching fever pitch.
And if that wasn't enough drama, Google's antitrust woes are
going full Hunger Games! Just this week, the Justice Department and a squad of
states blitzed Google in court over claims it's an unfair mobile search bully.
Whether the judge agrees to hand Epic the antitrust nuke
they want and upend the Play Store could spark chaos - or finally break
Google's grip on the billion-dollar app economy. Yo Google, may the odds be
ever in your favor in this clash of the tech titans!
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