Activision Blizzard and Riot Video games at one level informed Google they could launch their very own cellular app shops, in response to new paperwork filed in Epic’s antitrust lawsuit in opposition to the search big. The main points got here to gentle as a part of allegations about main offers signed with the 2 corporations. Google allegedly agreed to pay Activision about $360 million over three years and Riot about $30 million for a one-year deal.

In one doc, Google exec Karen Aviram Beatty is reporting again from a dialog with Activision Blizzard’s now-CFO Armin Zerza one month earlier than the 2 corporations signed the large deal. “If this deal falls by way of, [Zerza] claims that they may launch their very own cellular distribution platform (partnering with one other “main cellular firm” — presume Epic), double down with Amazon / Twitch (or MSFT) for Cloud / eSports [sic], and draw back from Stadia,” Beatty wrote (emphasis mine). Whereas Zerza could have simply been performing some hardline negotiating, Activision has not but launched its personal app retailer on cellular, so it appears the corporate was pleased with how the deal ultimately turned out.

One other doc is a deposition from an unnamed witness that appears to be somebody who’s or was concerned with “Challenge Hug,” Google’s program designed to incentivize and help Play Retailer builders. In the deposition, the witness says that Riot Video games informed Google it was contemplating launching a competing Android app retailer. Later, the witness says that “Riot and Activision Blizzard King have been those that have been essentially the most direct with us” about contemplating beginning their very own app shops.

Challenge Hug agreements first got here to gentle in August 2021 as a part of an unredacted Epic criticism. However Epic, in a newly amended criticism filed Thursday, alleges Challenge Hug offers are designed to “stop the developer from opening a competing retailer or in any other case distributing its apps exterior of the Google Play Retailer.”

Epic initially launched Fortnite exterior of Google Play in 2018, which let it bypass Google’s charges, and Epic has already argued that Challenge Hug was designed to entice builders to stay with Play as a substitute of creating their very own shops. (Epic ultimately introduced Fortnite to the Play Retailer in 2020, however it was eliminated a number of months later.) However primarily based on the brand new paperwork, it appears Activision and Riot have been pondering of putting out on their very own.

In statements to The Verge, Google and Activision pushed again on Epic’s allegations. Google stated that applications like Challenge Hug don’t stop builders from creating their very own app shops, and Activision stated that Google didn’t make them agree to not compete with Google Play.

“Epic is mischaracterizing enterprise conversations,” Google spokesperson Michael Appel stated. “Applications like Challenge Hug present incentives for builders to offer advantages and early entry to Google Play customers once they launch new or up to date content material; it doesn’t stop builders from creating competing app shops, as Epic falsely alleges. In reality, this system is proof that Google Play competes pretty with quite a few rivals for builders, who’ve quite a lot of selections for distributing their apps and digital content material.”

“Activision testified in court docket that Google and Activision by no means entered into an settlement that Activision wouldn’t open its personal app retailer,” Activision spokesperson Joe Christinat stated. “Google by no means requested us, pressured us, or made us agree to not compete with Google Play. We submitted paperwork and testimony that show this. Epic’s allegations are nonsense.”

Riot didn’t reply to a request for remark.

Considered one of Epic’s reveals additionally accommodates a listing of greater than 20 corporations Google has signed Challenge Hug (now technically the “Video games Velocity Program”) offers with as of July 2022. Activision and Riot are each listed, as are large gaming corporations like EA, Niantic, Nintendo, Tencent, and Ubisoft.