Epic Video games has accused Samsung of constructing it too troublesome to obtain its massively common online game Fortnite on sure cellular gadgets.
In a authorized criticism launched on Monday, it says individuals need to undergo “21 steps” earlier than they’ll play the sport on a brand new Samsung product, together with viewing safety warning screens and altering settings.
Epic claims this implies 50% of people that attempt to set up the sport on these gadgets hand over earlier than they full the method.
It says this course of takes 12 steps, somewhat than 21, for different Android telephones and tablets.
Epic has blamed a Samsung function referred to as Auto Blocker for the problem, which is turned on by default on Samsung’s newest merchandise.
The instrument is meant to dam “malicious exercise” and stop app installations from unauthorised sources.
However Epic claims Auto Blocker is affecting Fortnite downloads, and says that goes towards competitors legal guidelines.
Apps on Samsung or Google’s shops might be downloaded in simply a few clicks, because the companies have already accepted them.
However Fortnite have to be downloaded from Epic’s personal retailer – which triggers Samsung’s Auto Blocker function to kick in with warnings about it.
Epic claims each Google and Samsung know Fortnite is a legit app, and so there shouldn’t be any warnings flagged.
That’s as a result of it was out there on Google Play – the official app retailer for Android-powered telephones – and Samsung has even beforehand collaborated with it, operating Fortnite competitions and creating digital skins for the sport’s characters.
The BBC has approached Samsung and Google for remark.
Fortnite’s developer has beforehand taken Google and Apple to courtroom over disagreements about the best way the tech companies function their app shops.
The sport returned to EU-registered iPhones in August after Apple was ordered to open up its app market, but it surely nonetheless cannot be performed on iOS within the UK.
Epic boss Tim Sweeney stated he was “very unhappy” to be initiating extra authorized motion.
“The combat towards Samsung… is new, and it actually sucks,” he stated.
“I didn’t assume we might find yourself on this place.”
He claimed Epic would have “made much more cash” had it chosen to not pursue its earlier authorized motion, however stated he needed to create a “actually degree taking part in area” for builders.
The sport developer says it needs Samsung to introduce a course of by which all legit third-party app builders can apply to be whitelisted from Auto Blocker however is has been unable to achieve an settlement.
Fortnite was faraway from Apple and Google’s app shops in 2020 after Epic launched its personal in-app funds system.
And the developer received a prolonged courtroom battle towards Google over app retailer dominance in December 2023, with a jury deciding that Google had been working a monopoly.
