Epic Games now fears that the Department of Justice will let Apple off its antitrust suit with a settlement that does nothing to deter future App Store behavior.

More than two years on from when the Department of Justice (DOJ) sued Apple in an enormous antitrust suit, it has once again signaled that it would consider settling the case. But large developers including Epic Games and now also PayPal have told the DOJ that this really means Apple getting its own way.

According to a vague report from The Information on Friday, Justice Department officials have told developers that they would now prefer to settle rather than continue fighting the case. Regular complainers Epic and PayPal have argued that settling would not prevent Apple repeating or continuing its alleged antitrust behavior.

The pair reportedly suspects that any DOJ settlement will impose only light stipulations about Apple devices working with those from rival firms.

Unspecified sources within the developer companies say the DOJ has asked them how Apple could improve the iPhone's interoperability. These specific developers appear to be taking that as the sign that the DOJ is looking to end the dispute.

Will the DOJ settle?

No one from Epic Games, PayPal, or any other such developer has commented publicly. Nor has Apple, and the DOJ has declined to speak about specifics of the case.

However, a spokesperson for the DOJ did say that the department will "continue to prioritize affordability for all Americans across our economy."

It's not clear whether the developers' fear is well-grounded, or whether it is another case of Epic Games automatically complaining about any Apple moves.

However, a settlement does look likely. That's partly because the DOJ's case was vague at best.

But it was already reported in July 2026 that Apple and the DOJ were in at least early discussions over a settlement.

How we got here

The DOJ filed suit against Apple in March 2024, during the Biden administration, and in conjunction with four US states. Apple was accused of multiple issues that allegedly violated the Sherman antitrust act, particularly to do with anticompetitive conduct.

Apple of course immediately appealed, but its request for the case to be dismissed was refused. So in July 2025 it took the unusual step of publicly rebutting the suit paragraph by paragraph. In short, Apple said that each of the DOJ's accusations was simply false.

Since then, there has been a change of US administration and also in staffing at the DOJ. Currently the DOJ is said to prefer settlements rather than pursue multi-year court cases.