Epic Games, the developer of the popular video game "Fortnite," has accused Google and Samsung, the leading manufacturer of Android smartphones, of colluding to safeguard Google’s Play Store from competition. 

The company announced plans to file a lawsuit in U.S. federal court in California, claiming that a security feature on Samsung smartphones, known as Auto Blocker, was actually designed to discourage users from downloading Android applications from alternative sources outside of the Play Store or Samsung's Galaxy Store, which Samsung has chosen to deprioritize.

Epic contends that both Samsung and Google are in violation of U.S. antitrust laws by limiting consumer options and hindering competition that could lead to lower app prices. 

The game developer pointed out that Samsung's Auto Blocker was implemented to mitigate the effects of a favorable U.S. ruling Epic received against Google in December 2023, which is anticipated to compel Google to facilitate easier access to apps from other platforms.

Additionally, Epic plans to address its competition concerns with regulators in the European Union, which has been critical of Google's business practices for some time.

Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic, described the lawsuit as part of a "major global fight" aimed at preserving competition and its advantages for consumers.

Samsung launched the Auto Blocker feature on its smartphones in late 2023 as an optional tool to protect users from potentially harmful apps. However, Epic claims that Samsung made Auto Blocker the default setting in July and deliberately complicated the process for users to disable or circumvent it.

Epic Games initiated legal action against Google in 2020, alleging that the company suppressed competition through its control over app distribution and payment systems.

Currently, U.S. District Judge James Donato in San Francisco is considering what modifications Google must implement in its app business following the jury's December ruling that it maintained an illegal monopoly.