Epic Games Drops Lawsuit Against Samsung Right Before Unpacked Event—Strategic Retreat or Quiet Deal?

Epic Games just folded its legal hand against Samsung—hours before the tech giant's flagship Unpacked showcase. Was this a tactical surrender... or did someone finally check the legal bills?

Timing is everything: The Fortnite maker quietly dismissed its antitrust claims against Samsung's Galaxy Store on July 8, 2025—the same day Samsung unveiled its latest foldables. Coincidence? Wall Street's betting on 'settlement' whispers.

Here's what vanished with the lawsuit: A high-stakes fight over app store commissions that could've reshaped mobile gaming economics. Instead, we get radio silence—and Samsung stock barely twitching. Priorities, people.

Cynical finance take: Another 'innovation' win for corporate legal departments. Disruption gets expensive when you're up against a trillion-dollar hardware monopoly.

Auto Blocker feature was at the center of the dispute

At the heart of the lawsuit was Samsung’s controversial “Auto Blocker” feature, enabled by default on Android phones, which automatically prevented users from installing apps from sources not explicitly authorized by Samsung. The video gaming firm alleged this blocked access to competing marketplaces like the Epic Games Store, violating antitrust laws.

In September 2023, Sweeney suggested two ways Samsung could resolve the video firm’s concerns: Turn Auto Blocker off by default or create an honest whitelisting process that wouldn’t unfairly filter out legitimate third-party app stores.

The video game firm has not confirmed whether Samsung agreed to either solution. “Nothing more to share beyond the filing/X post,” said Elka Looks, Epic’s senior director of communications, when asked for comment.

Settlement sparks speculation ahead of Samsung’s unpacked event

The timing of the settlement has raised eyebrows, as Samsung is just two days away from its Unpacked event, where it is expected to reveal new foldable phones and software innovations.

While neither company has confirmed any partnership announcement, some speculate that Samsung could soon begin preloading the Epic Games Store on its devices. Such a move could signal a broader shift in app store openness.

However, any special treatment exclusive to the video game firm may not satisfy Sweeney’s broader goal. He’s repeatedly emphasized that the company’s legal battles are fought for its benefit and the broader developer ecosystem. “If we’d fought Epic v. Apple and Epic v. Google solely based on Epic getting special privileges… we’d be selling out all developers,” Sweeney said in a 2023 interview.

Epic’s antitrust case against Google is still active. In 2023, a jury unanimously found Google guilty of monopolizing app distribution on Android. A federal judge ordered Google to lift developer restrictions on rival billing systems and marketplaces. However, enforcement of most of that ruling is on hold as the company appeals to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Meanwhile, the video game firm has continued to push forward with its mobile store ambitions, working to get the Epic Games Store preinstalled on more Android phones globally, despite user reliance on default app stores like Google Play and Samsung Galaxy Store.

Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event is set for Wednesday, July 9, with expected reveals of the latest phones. The company confirmed the event weeks ago, fueling a wave of online speculation and leaks ahead of what’s shaping up to be a major product launch.

People will be on the lookout to LINK the event with the Epic Games Store. However, that alone may not satisfy Tim Sweeney, who has consistently stated that his legal battles are meant to benefit all developers, not just the video game firm.

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