Why today’s Epic v. Google trial is (and isn’t) a repeat of Epic v. Apple

Enlarge / Epic says launching Fortnite on Android without Google Play is as difficult as playing Fortnite while skydiving. OK, they didn’t literally say that, but work with me here… (credit: Epic Games)

Two years ago, Epic Games went to court to challenge what it called Apple’s monopolistic control of the iOS app marketplace. Now, as that trial crawls through the appeals process, Epic’s legal focus is moving to the other major mobile platform holder: Google.

The Epic v. Google trial, which starts today in a US district court in San Francisco, won’t be a precise rehashing of the issues laid out in that Apple trial. But while legal history won’t precisely repeat itself in the coming days and weeks, it will very likely rhyme.

Just when I thought I was out…

Both of Epic Games’ antitrust cases date back to August 2020, when Epic flaunted iOS and Google Play App Store rules by hotfixing an “Epic Direct Payment” option into Fortnite‘s mobile in-game V-Bucks store. While Apple was the first to respond by removing the game from iOS that afternoon, Google followed suit just a few hours later by taking the game down from the Google Play Store. Epic was ready with lawsuits to instantly respond to both moves.