Google came very close to buying Fortnite outright during last year’s legal disputes, according to some newly released court documents and Epic CEO Tim Sweeney. The internet conglomerate was caught up in a lawsuit against Epic after Fortnite was removed from the Google Play Store last summer.
This came around the same time that Epic was in a fierce legal battle against Apple for similarly removing the popular multiplayer battle royale title from the Apple Store, which itself was brought on by Epic announcing a brand-new payment method for in-game purchases named Epic Direct. This cut Apple and Google out of Fortnite’s profit shares, prompting both companies to remove the game from their online outlets and triggering a full-scale legal backdraft and massive social media PR campaign by Epic. The lawsuit between Google and Epic is currently ongoing as of this writing, but it turns out Google briefly considered making Epic’s legal actions null by buying it outright.
As reported by The Verge, Google almost bought Epic during last year’s legal disputes, according to recently unsealed court filings. Google apparently kept these plans a secret, with Epic CEO Tim Sweeney stating that he didn’t know about it until just recently in a Twitter post earlier this week. He also notes that it isn’t clear if Google’s plan would have involved friendly negotiation with Epic or a hostile takeover.
Fortnite ultimately remained the property of Epic throughout the whirlwind of legal disputes last year, continuing its massive commercial success in the face of the ongoing courtroom battles - to the point where professional athletes are finding themselves caught up in the craze when they should be training for their next soccer game. Most recently, pop star Ariana Grande held an interactive in-game concert in Fortnite, with repeat showings planned all weekend long. Meanwhile, players have been caught up in Fortnite’s Chapter Season 7, which features an alien invasion and new special guest characters like Loki, Rick Sanchez of Rick And Morty fame, and Guile and Cammy from Street Fighter amid a plethora of unlockable items and in-game challenges.
It's hard to imagine Epic being bought out given its massive success with both Fortnite and the Epic Games Store, but Google seemingly came very close to making this a reality. Details regarding this attempted buyout, along with other details about Epic's ongoing legal battles with both Google and Apple, are still unfolding as more court documents are being made available to the public.
Source: The Verge, Tim Sweeney/Twitter
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