Epic Games CEO basically called Apple & Google 'gangsters'

Summary: Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney slammed Apple and Google for running what he called “gangster-style” businesses. He accused them of prioritizing profits over legal compliance. Epic has been battling both companies in court. The company claims they’ve created roadblocks to prevent users from making purchases outside its app stores.

Epic is not a fan of companies such as Apple and Google. This largely stems from both Apple and Google taking a massive cut from in-app purchases (around 30%). This means that games, like Epic’s Fortnite, which made millions from in-game purchases, only received 70% of that money. So it’s not surprising that Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney did not mince words when speaking about Apple and Google. In his speech, he criticizes both companies for running what he calls a “gangster-style” business.

Sweeney spoke at a Y Combinator event on Wednesday and said, “The sad truth is that Apple and Google are no longer good-faith, law-abiding companies. They’re run, in many ways, as gangster-style businesses that will do anything they think they can get away with. If they think that the fine is going to be cheaper than the lost revenue from an illegal practice, they always continue the illegal practice and pay the fine.”

Epic vs. Apple vs. Google

Epic has been involved in legal disputes with both Apple and Google. The most notorious one involved Epic suing Apple over in-app purchases. Epic wanted Apple to allow purchases from external websites. This later became possible thanks to the EU’s DMA. However, Epic doesn’t think Apple has acted in good faith.

For example, in a March 2025 complaint, Epic says that Apple’s “External Link Purchase Entitlement Program” was a system that was “purposely designed to fail.” The company also alleged that Apple considered ways of “severely limiting the placement, language, and design of steering options.” Basically, Epic thinks Apple intentionally designed mechanisms to make it difficult for users to make external purchases.

Epic also accuses Google of doing something similar. When Android users try to install the Epic Games Store on their devices, Google scares users with a warning that says the software is from an “unknown source.”

According to Sweeney, “Crime pays for big tech companies. Obviously, we shouldn’t expect that to change until enforcement becomes much, much more vigorous.”

The post Epic Games CEO basically called Apple & Google 'gangsters' appeared first on Android Headlines.