Epic Games has accused Samsung of making it too difficult to download its video game, Fortnite, on certain mobile devices. Epic claims that players must go through 21 steps to play the game on a new Samsung product, view security warning screens, and change settings, resulting in half of those installing the game on the devices giving up before they complete the process. In comparison, the process takes 12 steps, rather than 21, for other Android phones and tablets.
They blame a Samsung feature called Auto Blocker, which is turned on by default on the manufacturer’s latest products. Epic says Auto Blocker affects Fortnite downloads and goes against competition laws.
Samsung has denied the allegations and says users can disable Auto Blocker if they choose.
“Contrary to Epic Game’s assertions, Samsung actively fosters market competition, enhances consumer choice, and conducts its operations fairly,” it said. Although users can download apps on Samsung or Google’s stores in a few clicks, Fortnite must be downloaded from Epic’s store, triggering Samsung’s Auto Blocker feature to kick in with warnings. Epic claims that as a legitimate app, no warnings should be flagged. In the past, the game was available on Google Play, and Samsung previously collaborated with it, running Fortnite competitions and creating digital skins for the game’s characters.
Fortnite’s developer has previously taken Google and Apple to court over disagreements about how tech firms operate their app stores. The game returned to EU-registered iPhones in August after Apple was ordered to open its app marketplace, but it still can’t be played on iOS in the UK. Epic boss Tim Sweeney claimed Epic would have “made a lot more money” had it chosen not to pursue its previous legal action, but said he wanted to create a “truly level playing field” for developers.
Fortnite was removed from Apple and Google’s app stores in 2020 after Epic introduced its own in-app payments system. The developer won a lengthy court battle against Google over app store dominance in December 2023, with a jury deciding that Google had been operating a monopoly.
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