Google has filed a lawsuit against Epic Games for using its own payment mechanism in Fortnite.

Google has sued Epic Games, the game publisher's added its own payment system into the shooting game Fortnite. That is against Google's app store's terms of service.

Epic was able to evade Google's regulations and avoid paying any commissions by developing its own payment system. By default, developers who sell goods through the Play Store send Google 30% of their proceeds. According to Google, Epic intentionally broke the policy. Although the app was deleted from the Play Store in August owing to a contract violation, millions of Android users continue to use it. According to Google, they continue to have access to Epic's third-party payment system.

"Customers and developers are not required to use the app store; they may utilize alternative shops and distribution channels," Google stated in its indictment. Epic Games can thus provide its services on Android phones via its own payment system, but not via the Play Store, where all developers must comply to the same standards. Google is pursuing Epic to recoup the revenue it has lost. It is unknown what the appropriate amount should be.

Epic is now entangled in a number of litigation. Epic sued Google last year after Google removed Fortnite from the Play Store. Google, the publisher asserts, is a monopolist that actively works against competition.

Meanwhile, Epic and Apple are embroiled in a legal battle. A jury determined that Apple is not a monopoly and that it has the legal authority to ban Fortnite apps from the App Store. Epic was also required to compensate Apple for revenue lost as a result of the new payment structure. In that case, both parties have appealed.