Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, whose company develops Fortnite and Unreal Engine, has once again criticized Apple and Google, calling them “gangster-style businesses.” He claims that their monopolistic practices prevent competition, making it harder for Epic to attract both users and developers to its platform. According to Sweeney, these companies deliberately discourage users from installing the Epic Games Store, limiting consumer choice and reinforcing their dominance.
Over the years, Epic has actively fought against big tech’s control of the mobile app market. The company sued both Apple and Google for monopolistic practices within their app stores. While Epic won its case against Google, its legal battle with Apple resulted in mixed outcomes. Although the court didn’t rule entirely in Epic’s favor, it did force Apple to revise its App Store policies, allowing developers to use alternative payment methods. However, Epic argues that Apple’s response—permitting external transactions but imposing a 3% fee—does not provide meaningful competition.
Sweeney has been vocal in his criticism, accusing Apple and Google of prioritizing profits over compliance with regulations. He describes their approach as “malicious compliance,” meaning they technically follow legal rulings but implement changes in ways that still benefit them. “They are run, in many ways, like gangster businesses that will do whatever they think they can get away with,” Sweeney said, adding that these companies often choose to pay fines rather than change their business models.
Restrictions Hurt Developers and Users
According to Sweeney, Apple and Google’s practices harm both developers and users. One major issue is how they discourage installations from third-party sources. On Android, Google warns users that the Epic Games Store comes from an “unknown source” and could be unsafe. Sweeney refers to this as a “scare screen” designed to deter users from downloading apps outside the Play Store. He states that this warning leads to 50-60% of users abandoning the installation.
A similar issue exists on iOS. While Apple was forced to allow third-party app stores in Europe, it still places warning screens in front of users trying to install them. According to Sweeney, this leads to the same high abandonment rate. He argues that these warnings are misleading and serve Apple’s interests by keeping users within its ecosystem.
Additionally, Apple’s fee structure continues to restrict competition, notes NIX Solutions. While Apple has reduced its usual 30% commission, it has introduced a “core technology fee” of $0.50 per install per year for apps with more than 1 million downloads. Sweeney warns that this makes it nearly impossible for free-to-play games to operate on Epic’s platform, as they cannot sustain such costs. “Unless your app is generating huge revenue per user, any free game is pretty much giving up on that,” he explained. “Apple would bankrupt them if they did that.”
Despite these barriers, Epic has managed to attract some older games to its store. Later this year, the Epic Games Store will open to developer submissions, which Sweeney hopes will expand its offerings on both iOS and Android. However, the battle for fair competition is far from over. Epic remains committed to challenging Apple and Google’s control, and we’ll keep you updated as the situation develops.