legal battle Archives

AppWizard

December 23, 2025

Steam’s PC Store Takeover: Why Its Near-Monopoly Worries Developers

Steam serves as a comprehensive library, hub for updates, and social space for PC gamers, influencing pricing structures and the survival of game genres. It revolutionized the PC gaming landscape by introducing automatic updates, a unified library, and a seamless purchasing experience. Steam has tens of millions of users online simultaneously, making its launches significant for publishers. Steam's features include Workshop mod distribution and community engagement tools, while its Steamworks services assist developers with refunds and compatibility issues. However, this convenience limits competition, as rival storefronts struggle to match Steam's established user base and pricing. Valve's commission structure is tiered: 30% for revenues under million, 25% for million to million, and 20% for over million. Legal battles, such as the one between Wolfire and Valve, highlight concerns about Steam's platform regulations and potential pricing restraints that inhibit competition. Steam allows self-publishing for developers through a 0 application fee, but visibility challenges lead many to resort to discounts and updates. The platform's dominance is reinforced by policies like the "price parity" requirement, which prevents lower prices on competing storefronts. This practice may maintain Steam's commission rates and market influence, raising questions about the future of competition in PC game distribution.

BetaBeacon

December 13, 2025

Fortnite Returns to Android on Google Play Store, Apple Loses Appeal Against Epic

Fortnite has returned to the Google Play Store in the US after a legal battle with Epic Games and Google. Android users in the US can now easily download the game, while players outside the country still need to find alternative ways to access it. Google recently settled with Epic Games, while Apple has made changes to its policies following a court ruling. Epic Games CEO, Tim Sweeney, sees these legal developments as a step towards fair competition in the mobile payment industry.

BetaBeacon

December 12, 2025

Fortnite Returns to Android on Google Play Store, Apple Loses Its Epic Ruling Appeal

Fortnite is now available for download on Android devices through the Google Play Store after a legal battle between Epic Games and Google over in-app purchases. The game was removed in 2020 due to Epic Games introducing a way for players to make purchases without going through Google. Players in the US can now download the game from the Play Store, while players outside the US still cannot access it through the official storefront. Apple's appeal in its case against Epic Games was denied, with the court ruling that Apple can charge a fee on purchases made outside of its App Store but suggesting implementing a commission or fee limitation.

AppWizard

November 19, 2025

Meta Learns That Nothing Is a Monopoly If You Just Wait Long Enough

Judge James Boasberg ruled that Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, does not have an illegal monopoly in the social media market. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) failed to prove that Meta currently holds monopoly power, despite its past dominance. The emergence of competitors like TikTok and YouTube has created significant competition for Meta. The judge noted that consumers are increasingly spending time on these alternative platforms, which contributes to Meta's need to invest heavily to stay relevant. This ruling is part of a broader trend among major tech companies successfully navigating antitrust challenges in rapidly changing markets.

AppWizard

November 16, 2025

Wolfenstein 3D publisher recalls fight to distribute game in Germany — porn stores and plain packaging came to the rescue of 1990s FPS gamers

Wolfenstein 3D was released as shareware in 1992 and faced challenges in the German market due to its Nazi symbols, which conflicted with Germany's laws prohibiting unconstitutional iconography. In 1992, Germany attempted to stop the distribution of the game through a lawsuit against Compuserve, but Apogee Software, led by Scott Miller, successfully fought this legal battle, allowing the game's distribution in Germany. The voice acting for the game was performed by developers who did not know German, leading to humorous mispronunciations that amused German fans. Initially, the game was sold in adult stores alongside adult content, complicating its reception. Additionally, until the 2010s, Germany's Youth Protection Laws required significant alterations to game content, such as changing blood color, to comply with regulations and avoid censorship.

BetaBeacon

November 11, 2025

Google, Epic Games reach ‘comprehensive settlement’ over long-running Play Store antitrust case

Epic Games and Google have reached a settlement agreement after a 5-year legal battle over the Play Store for Android apps. The settlement aims to make Android a more competitive platform by allowing the distribution of rival third-party app stores. The specific terms of the agreement remain confidential and subject to approval by a U.S. District Judge.

BetaBeacon

November 6, 2025

Breaking: Google and Epic propose settlement to end years-long legal battle in the US

Google and Epic Games have proposed a settlement to resolve their legal battle over the Play Store. The proposed changes aim to address concerns regarding monopolization of user choice and in-app purchases. The settlement includes allowing developers more flexibility to distribute apps and process payments outside of Google Play, as well as lowering service fees on Google Play. If approved, this could lead to more competition, lower fees, and increased developer choice and flexibility on Android devices.

BetaBeacon

November 6, 2025

Epic and Google agree to settle their lawsuit and change Android’s fate globally

Google and Epic Games have settled their lawsuit over app store policies. The settlement includes changes to Google's app store fees and allows third-party app stores to be featured in the Google Play Store. Google has agreed to reduce its fees and allow alternative app stores to register with them until June 2032. This settlement could impact the app store ecosystem by providing more choice for developers and promoting competition. The new fee structure is tailored to the needs of developers, especially game developers like Epic Games. This settlement could set a precedent for other major app store platforms to reconsider their fee structures and policies.

BetaBeacon

November 6, 2025

Epic Games and Google Propose Landmark Global Settlement to Reshape Android App Store

Google and Epic Games have reached a settlement in the Epic v Google case, with Google proposing to make changes to open up the Android market globally and extend the settlement through June 30, 2032. The settlement includes a new fee structure for developers, allowing them to use alternative payment systems and reducing fees for in-app purchases. Additionally, a new program will make it easier for users to install alternative app stores. Both CEOs hailed the settlement as a win for the original vision of Android as an open platform.

BetaBeacon

November 6, 2025

Epic & Google Settle Lawsuit, Introduce Changes for All Developers

Epic Games and Google have settled their legal battle over app store fees and access. Google has agreed to reduce its standard fee to either 20% or 9%, depending on the type of transaction, starting from October 30, 2025. Google will also allow alternative app stores to register with them for easy installation by users. These changes will be implemented for developers worldwide from March 31, 2026, until June 2032.