- Epic Games has accused Google of breaking off its deals with OnePlus, LG.
- The deals were for pre-installing a special Fortnite launcher on the phones.
Epic Games is suing both Google and Apple for removing Fortnite from their respective app stores. Now, details from Epic’s lawsuit filed against Google have come to light. The developer is alleging that Google crushed Epic’s deals with OnePlus and LG.
As pointed out by The Verge, Epic’s filing states that Google “forced OnePlus� to back off from a deal to pre-install a special Fortnite launcher on its phones. Epic has also accused Google of preventing a similar deal with LG.
Epic claims that its deal with OnePlus was canceled after Google expressed “concern� over the developer offering an install method for Fortnite that bypassed the Play Store.
As per Epic’s original deal with OnePlus, a version of Fortnite with a “state-of-the-art framerate� was to be made available on OnePlus phones worldwide through the pre-installed special launcher. However, Epic claims Google “demanded that OnePlus not implement its agreement with Epic with the limited exception of mobile devices sold in India.�
Related: Here’s how to install Fortnite for Android
In LG’s case, the company apparently told Epic that it was under contract with Google to block “side downloading off Google Play Store this year.� This is why the developer claims that it was Google which “prevented LG from pre-installing the Epic Games app on LG devices.�
If these deals would have gone through, Epic says it “could and would negotiate with OEMs to make Fortnite and other Epic games directly available to consumers, free from Google’s anti-competitive restraints.� When the deals didn’t work out, Epic says it decided to give in and launch Fortnite on the Play Store in April.
Google hasn’t made any comments regarding Epic’s accusations. However, Mishaal Rahman from XDA-Developers independently confirmed that OnePlus was indeed planning on preloading the Epic Games Store. He also pointed out that the Oxygen OS Open Beta 14 for the OnePlus 7 Pro in India actually had Epic Games Store pre-installed until the update was pulled.
I can verify it. I independently confirmed that OnePlus was planning on preloading the Epic Games Store.https://t.co/qxBKB2e1vf
OnePlus eventually only shipped Epic Games as a quick install in its Game Space app: https://t.co/oBdwfsRxyq
CC @backlon
— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) August 14, 2020
Google also declined to comment when The Verge inquired about the specifics of the OnePlus and LG deals.