Summary: Epic Games and Samsung have reached a settlement in their ongoing legal battle over the Epic Games Store’s compatibility with Samsung devices. The dispute centered on Samsung’s Auto Blocker feature, which prevents sideloading apps, including Epic’s store. The resolution comes as Samsung prepares to launch its latest smartphones, and Epic has decided to drop its lawsuit.
Excerpt: Epic Games, buoyed by the success of Fortnite, has spent the last few years challenging the mobile industry’s app store monopolies. The settlement comes just days before Samsung unveils its latest phones, with Epic dropping its lawsuit in exchange for assurances that their concerns will be addressed.
Expanded Article: The dispute between Epic Games and Samsung began several years ago when Epic defied Google and Apple’s rules about accepting outside payments in Fortnite. Both app stores pulled the game, and Epic sued. Apple won, allowing Fortnite to return to the iPhone recently, while Google faced a loss after Epic showed evidence of its efforts to hinder app stores like its own. Epic then filed a similar lawsuit against Samsung, accusing it of implementing a feature to block third-party app stores. The issue revolves around Samsung’s Auto Blocker, which blocks sidelo, preventing the installation of the Epic Games Store. Auto Blocker is enabled by default on Samsung phones but can be opt-out during setup. Epic claimed the sudden inclusion of this feature was a sign of a conspiracy between Google and Samsung to limit alternative app stores. With the settlement, Epic, led by CEO Tim Sweeney, has decided to drop the case, hoping for solutions like Samsung potentially stopping Auto Blocker as default or creating a whitelist for apps like Epic’s store or granting special access for select third-party stores while keeping Auto Blocker for others. A more interesting outcome, according to Ars, would be for Samsung to pre-install the Epic Games Store on its new phones. The resolution may influence the broader app store landscape, affecting competition and user choice in the mobile industry.