Fortnite maker Epic Games sues Google in Australian court

Fed up with steep fees, the developers of the popular game have taken the platforms to court.

A few months after suing Apple, Fortnite developers Epic Games has taken legal action in Australia against Google.

The company filed a claim in the Federal Court on Wednesday, alleging anti-competitive conduct and claiming Google “abuses its control” over the Android smartphone operating system it owns.

Like Apple, Google charges a 30 per cent commission on developers accepting payments through their apps.

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The Fortnite developers are now doing battle with Google.

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Fortnite tried to get around this by adding a direct payment option that offered cheaper prices, before Apple removed it from the App Store, sparking the lawsuit.

The company is now going after Google for the same reason.

Epic founder and CEO Tim Sweeney said, “Google is more interested in feigning openness than delivering choice to consumers.”

He took aim at “barriers” Google places on Android, with a particular focus on the direct downloading and installation of apps from places other than the Google Play store.

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Epic Games founder Tim Sweeney accused Google and Apple of stifling competition and hurting consumers.

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While Apple straight up does not allow you to install apps from anywhere other than the App Store, Android does, but according to Mr Sweeney “it makes the process so difficult and scary that it deters users from downloading apps from third party-websites even though it is a totally normal way for users to get apps on a desktop”.

“We believe consumers have the right to install apps from sources of their choosing and developers have the right to compete in a fair marketplace,” Mr Sweeney said.

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Fortnite has been removed from the Google Play and Apple App Store after adding a direct payment option that cut the two tech giants out of the deal. Picture: Chris Delmas/AFP

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Epic is also pursuing legal action in the US and the UK and an antitrust complaint in the European Union.

A statement from the company said it was not seeking damages but simply wants “fair access and competition that will benefit consumers and developers”.

Google has been contacted for comment.

Originally published as Fortnite maker Epic Games sues Google in Australian court