The maker of popular video game Fortnite has won a US court battle against Google, with a jury deciding that the search giant had operated an illegal monopoly.
Epic Games sued Google in 2020, accusing it of unlawfully making its app store dominant over rivals.
Hundreds of millions of people use the store to install apps for smartphones powered by Google’s Android software.
Google has said it would challenge the outcome.
“Android and Google Play provide more choice and openness than any other major mobile platform,” Wilson White, vice-president of government affairs and public policy at Google, said.
“The trial made clear that we compete fiercely with Apple and its App Store, as well as app stores on Android devices and gaming consoles,” he added.
“We will continue to defend the Android business model and remain deeply committed to our users, partners, and the broader Android ecosystem.”
Epic Chief Executive Tim Sweeney said that work on remedies would start in January.
“Victory over Google! After four weeks of detailed court testimony, the California jury found against the Google Play monopoly on all counts,” Epic Chief Executive Tim Sweeney wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The lawyers for the two companies made their final arguments on Monday in the trial that lasted more than a month.
Jurors found in favour of Epic on all counts unanimously, according to a court filing.
The case also challenged transaction fees of up to 30% that Google imposes on Android app developers, and how the tech giant ties together its Play Store and billing service, which means developers must use both to have their apps in the store.
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