CEO Tim Sweeney’s response following Epic Games’ surprising victory against Google in an anti-trust lawsuit
Epic Games, the company responsible for Fortnite, has won a major legal battle against Google regarding its Play Store policies. This high-profile case, which had garnered significant attention from the tech industry, resulted in a jury finding Google guilty of antitrust violations. The verdict represents a significant milestone for Epic Games in its ongoing efforts to promote fair competition within the app store market. In an interview with CNBC, Epic Games’ CEO, Tim Sweeney, discussed the contrasting outcomes of the company’s legal disputes with both Apple and Google. Sweeney attributed the victory against Google to the revelation of deleted records, which played a crucial role in influencing the jury’s decisive decision.
According to Sweeney, Google’s alleged deletion of important records, including discussions about privileged contracts with developers, played a key role in shaping the case. “The audacity of Google executives to break the law and then remove any record of breaking the law,” Sweeney told CNBC. “It was really amazing. This is not a very ordinary lawsuit; you don’t expect a trillion dollar company to act like Google.”
The role of experimental designs
Highlighting another important factor, Sweeney highlighted the difference in trial formats in the Apple and Google cases. Apple’s case was decided by a judge, while Google’s case was presented to a jury. Speaking to the Verge, Sweeney expressed his confidence in the jury’s commitment, stating, “We suspected all along that the jurors really followed the case closely. They didn’t doze off, as you might expect given the complexity of these documents and issues.”
Fortnite Stand on Steam Deck
Addressing the ongoing debate over Fortnite’s absence from Steam Deck, Sweeney told The Verge, “If only we had a few more programmers. It’s a Linux problem. I love the Steam Deck hardware. Valve has done an amazing job there.”
Despite Google’s plan to appeal the ruling, Sweeney confirmed that Epic Games would not wait. “We’re not going to wait. We’re going to do absolutely everything we can as fast as we can to start changing the world,” Sweeney declared. From a global perspective, he added: “We don’t just have this judgment here in the United States, it’s a global judgment, right? We created a market worldwide, except for China.”
Sweeney touted Epic’s extensive legal efforts, including cases in Europe, Australia and the UK, which signaled a broader move towards transparency. “It’s not just Epic anymore; there’s a lot of lawmakers, there’s a lot of regulators and other lawsuits that are all pushing in the direction of transparency. And we’re going to do absolutely everything we can,” Sweeney affirmed.
Google’s answer
The antitrust case between Epic Games and Google focused on claims that Google’s payment practices in its Play Store and Android operating system constituted an illegal monopoly that harmed competition.
However, Google remains firm in its position and plans to appeal the verdict. Wilson White, Google’s vice president of government affairs and public policy, said: “We plan to challenge the ruling. Android and Google Play offer more choice and transparency than any other major mobile platform.” White emphasized Google’s commitment to competition, stating, “We continue to defend the Android business model and remain deeply committed to our users, partners and the broader Android ecosystem.”
