Epic Games has settled with Samsung after the company sued the phone and manufacturer back in late 2024.
As reported by The Verge, the settlement took place yesterday. Epic CEO Tim Sweeney wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that the company is dismissing the court case against Samsung “following the parties’ discussions,” while also being “grateful” that the company “will address Epic’s concerns.”
The antitrust lawsuit against Samsung, as well as Google, was based on claims around “coordinated efforts” to block third-party app distribution. Samsung’s ‘Auto Blocker’ feature kicked off these concerns, which comes turned on by default on new Samsung phones. When enabled, it prevents users from installing apps that aren’t part of “authorized sources,” namely Google and Samsung’s app stores.
Epic didn’t disclose details about how Samsung will address its concerns, and declined to share additional details when pressed by The Verge.
The settlement took place two days before the company is set to announce its new lineup of phones during the Samsung Unpacked event.
Epic has dropped its claims against Samsung, but the lawsuit against Google continues. This is the second time that Epic Games has been in a legal dispute with Google in the past few years. Back in December 2023, Epic won an antitrust lawsuit after a jury determined the Google Play marketplace to be an illegal monopoly.
Epic has successfully used its flagship game Fortnite as a means to test the policies of various stores and press for less restrictive access on various platforms. In December 2024, Epic secured a deal to preinstall Fortnite onto Android phones in Spain and the UK. A month later, the Epic Games Store added almost 20 third-party tiles, as well as the launch of a Free Games program.
All the while, Fortnite returned to the iOS App Store in the United States in late May, roughly five years after it was removed from the marketplace by Apple.
Today’s news means Samsung is the first platform holder to settle with Epic Games instead of fighting it out. Epic can now divert its attention to its ongoing cases against Apple and Google, both of which have landed in appeals court
