Epic v. Google Heating Up

Epic Games is still awaiting a verdict in its case against Apple, but the video game giant’s war with Google is picking up steam.

Epic sued Google last August for removing “Fortnite” from Google Play after Epic challenged the company’s in-app billing requirements on the platform, which are similar to Apple’s policies on the App Store.

Last week, Epic said it will file amended complaints by July 21.

Apple and Google each take 30% cuts from in-app purchases on their platforms. That number quickly adds up for a game like “Fortnite” that made over $9 billion in two years.

Epic CEO Tim Sweeney has gone as far to call Google “a business with a rotten soul.”

Apparently, many state attorneys agree with that sentiment.

• Last week, 36 U.S. states and the District of Columbia sued Google, alleging it used restrictive contracts and bought off competitors, while also condemning the 30% cut it takes from companies like Epic.
• Google’s senior director of public policy, Wilson White, defended the company’s Android platform: “It’s strange that a group of state attorneys general chose to file a lawsuit attacking a system that provides more openness and choice than others.”

Google Play accounts for 90% of Android app downloads in the U.S.