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Epic gives in: lawsuit against Samsung over controversial auto blocker dropped!
Epic Games and Samsung have settled their lawsuit. Details of the agreement on the “Auto Blocker” remain unclear.
Epic gives in: lawsuit against Samsung over controversial auto blocker dropped!
The dispute between Epic Games and Samsung takes an unexpected turn. Epic Games announced yesterday, July 7, 2025, that they have withdrawn their lawsuit against smartphone manufacturer Samsung. This lawsuit, which began in September 2023, primarily dealt with Samsung's controversial “Auto Blocker”. This security feature on Samsung's devices prevented the installation of apps from unauthorized sources, which Epic viewed as a barrier to competition for alternative app marketplaces, particularly its own Epic Games Store. The dispute had also raised allegations of illegal collusion between Samsung and Google, as Epic suspected that such measures were intended to hinder the distribution of their own platform.
By withdrawing the lawsuit, Epic is taking a new approach and showing that they may be working toward a settlement that was only revealed shortly before Samsung's next Unpacked event. It was agreed not to disclose the exact conditions that were agreed upon. Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney expressed gratitude that Samsung is working to address Epic's concerns. However, it remains unclear whether the Auto Blocker will simply be deactivated in the future or whether a new approval process for third-party apps will be introduced.
Background of the conflict
In recent years, Epic Games has worked intensively to establish its own app store on additional mobile devices. In 2023, the company scored a significant antitrust victory against Google. Epic then filed a lawsuit against Samsung to draw attention to the problems caused by the auto blocker, which makes it difficult to sideload apps and thus hinders the installation of the Epic Games Store.
However, this dispute wasn't the only challenge Epic faced. The problems began when the company violated Google and Apple's payment policies by accepting external payments in Fortnite. This led to the removal of the Fortnite app from the respective stores. While Apple won the lawsuit and Fortnite was only recently able to return, Epic ultimately succeeded against Google by proving that Google had actively hindered the development of other app stores like theirs. In this complex situation it becomes clear that it is not just about a single dispute, but about the fundamental competitive landscape in the app store environment.
Latest developments in the App Store area
Current events show once again how dynamic competition is in the app store sector and that both Samsung and Apple need to rethink their business practices in order to meet the legal framework and the pressure from competitors such as Epic Games. It remains to be seen what new developments will arise and to what extent the landscape in the app store area will change.