In a twist that would make even the most cynical gamer raise an eyebrow, Epic Games and Google have been quietly doing business together while publicly battling in court.
Court documents revealed during antitrust settlement talks show that Epic and Google have an $800 million deal involving Unreal Engine and unspecified services. Let me be clear: this is the same Epic that sued Google for anticompetitive behavior, won the case, and is now trying to convince a judge that Google's monopolistic practices hurt competition.
The irony is so thick you could cut it with a knife.
Wait, They're Business Partners?
Yes. While Tim Sweeney was positioning Epic as the champion of the little guy against Big Tech tyranny, his company was simultaneously cashing $800 million checks from the same company he was suing. The deal covers Unreal Engine licensing and other services that haven't been fully disclosed.
Epic disputes that this impacts their antitrust case. Sure.
Why This Matters
This revelation comes at a critical moment in settlement negotiations. The judge now has to consider whether Epic's claims about anticompetitive harm hold water when Epic itself is one of Google's largest business partners. It's like complaining about a restaurant's monopoly while simultaneously being their main supplier.
The gaming community has already started connecting dots. Epic famously removed Fortnite from the Google Play Store, sued Google over app store fees, and positioned itself as fighting for developers everywhere. But behind the scenes, Epic and Google were doing nearly a billion dollars in business together.
The Community Reacts
Gamers aren't buying it. The Reddit thread where this broke is full of people pointing out the hypocrisy. Epic spent years painting itself as the underdog fighting for fair competition, all while being deeply embedded in Google's ecosystem.
Look, I get it. Business is complicated. Companies can be partners in one area and competitors in another. But when you're literally suing someone for antitrust violations while simultaneously being one of their biggest business partners, you've got an optics problem.
Verdict: This doesn't just undermine Epic's moral high ground—it nukes it from orbit. Would I speedrun through Epic's legal arguments after this? Pass.
The Verge has the full story on this corporate theater at its finest.
