Google has countersued Epic for alleged breach of the Play Store contract, according to Zdnet. In a 43-page counter-complaint, it accuses the games developer of evading its contractually agreed service fee to Google when it introduced a new payment system to sidestep the Play Store's payment systems and in-app purchase commissions. Google is seeking compensation for the amount it has lost from users accessing Epic's external payment system through a Play Store-downloaded app.
Google alleges Epic willfully breached the terms of a contract that allowed Fortnite to reside in the Play Store, by submitting a version of the app containing a payment method that was not Google Play billing for in-app purchases. Google claims millions of Android users who downloaded the Fortnite app through the Play Store can still use Epic's external payment system, even though the app was removed from the store.
Google said said consumers and developers do not have to use Google Play, but opt to do so when given a choice among Android app stores and distribution channels. Google supports that choice through Android itself, Google Play's policies, and Google's agreements with developers and device manufacturers, it said.
In making that claim, Google said it has no issues with Epic providing a version of the Fortnite app containing a non-Google Play payment system to Android users, so long as it is done outside of the Play Store. Google added that this meant it was not like other competitors, such as Apple, as Android app developers do not have to use the Play Google Store to provide apps to users.
