Epic Games Lawsuit Ends After Samsung Settles App Store Case

The Epic Games lawsuit against Samsung has officially come to an end, with both companies having agreed to settle the case, as reported by TechCrunch. Epic filed the lawsuit in September 2024, saying that Samsung worked with Google to block other app stores on Samsung phones.

Epic Games has confirmed the settlement, but Samsung and Google did not share any comments. The case has been removed from court, which means both sides have agreed to end the fight. This is another big moment in the company’s long legal battle with big tech companies over app store control.

Epic Games and Samsung Case Challenged App Store Limits

The case of Epic Games and Samsung was about how apps are installed on smartphones. Epic said Samsung was making it harder for users to download apps that were not from the Google Play Store or Samsung Galaxy Store. The lawsuit focused on a Samsung feature called Auto Blocker, which Epic claimed stopped other app stores from working properly on Samsung phones.

Epic believed that Samsung and Google were working together to keep out rival app stores. The company said this was unfair and limited both user freedom and developer choices. Epic launched its app store in 2023 to offer games like Fortnite and Rocket League Sideswipe. However, the Auto Blocker feature made it harder for users to install these apps unless they used Google’s or Samsung’s official stores.

Google denied doing anything wrong and said that Android phone makers are free to protect their users by blocking risky apps. Samsung also rejected Epic’s claims and said it would fight them in court.

The company has been vocal about fighting what it calls an app store monopoly, where only a few big tech companies control how apps are downloaded and sold on mobile devices.

Samsung’s Legal Settlement May Bring Changes

Now that the Samsung legal settlement is done, people are wondering what changes Samsung might make. Epic’s CEO, Tim Sweeney, shared the update on X (formerly Twitter). He wrote, “We’re dismissing our court case against Samsung following the parties’ discussions.” He also added, “We are grateful that Samsung will address Epic’s concerns.” This suggests Samsung may tweak its Auto Blocker feature or give users more freedom to install other app stores.

The timing of the settlement is also interesting, as it comes just days before Samsung’s big launch event for its next Galaxy devices. Some believe Samsung might use this moment to show it supports more open app choices. If it does, this could be a win not just for Epic, but also for other developers looking for fairer access to Android phones.

This legal deal could also mean that users might soon be able to download Epic’s app store directly on Samsung phones, without facing the same issues as before. It could also push Samsung to change how it handles third-party apps in general.

Epic Games Continues Its Fight Against App Store Monopoly

While the Epic Games lawsuit with Samsung is now over, Epic’s fight is not. The company is still in court with Google. In 2023, Epic won an important case against Google, where a judge ruled that the Play Store had been operating unfairly by blocking rivals. But that decision is now under appeal, and the case is still not final.

Epic has also gone after Apple in the past, though with mixed results. But the goal has always been the same: to allow developers more freedom and to reduce the power of companies that run app stores.

This Samsung case shows that Epic is slowly making progress. By pushing companies like Samsung to rethink how apps are handled, Epic is helping create more competition and choice in the mobile world.