Google and Epic look to bury the hatchet with new app store settlement - Ars Technica

Overview

Google and Epic look to bury the hatchet with new app store settlementvar abtest_2143694 = new ABTest(2143694, 'click');

Google is in the midst of rewriting the rules for mobile applications, spurred by ongoing legal cases and an apparent desire to clamp down on perceived security weaknesses. Late last year, Google and Epic concocted a settlement that would end the long-running antitrust dispute that stemmed from Fortnite fees. The sides have now announced an updated version of the agreement with new changes aimed at placating US courts and putting this whole mess in the rearview mirror. The gist is that Android will get more app stores, and developers will pay lower fees.

Details

A US court ruled against Google in the case back in 2023, and the remedies announced in 2024 threatened to upend Google’s Play Store model. It tried unsuccessfully to have the verdict reversed, but then Epic came to the rescue. In late 2025, the companies announced a settlement that skipped many of the court’s orders.

Epic leadership professed interest in leveling the playing field for all developers on Android’s platform. But US District Judge James Donato expressed skepticism of the settlement in January, noting that it may be a “sweetheart deal” that benefitted Epic more than other developers. The specifics of the arrangement were not fully disclosed, but it included lower Play Store fees, cross-licensing, attorneys fees, and other partnership offers.

It’s starting to look like both companies want to get this case wrapped up. For Epic, this all started as a way to avoid paying Google a 30 percent cut of Fortnite purchases—the game has been banned from the Play Store this whole time. Google, meanwhile, is in the midst of a major change to Android app distribution with its developer verification program. After all these years, the end is in sight. So the new settlement includes more explicit limits on Play Store fees and resurrects one of Donato’s more far-reaching remedies.

Representatives for Epic and Google have both expressed enthusiastic support for the newly announced settlement, which is subject to Judge Donato’s approval. The parties say the agreement will resolve their dispute globally, not only in the US.

The settlement affirms that developers in the Play Store will be able to steer users to other forms of payment. This is what got Fortnite pulled from the Play Store (and Apple App Store) back in 2020. When developers choose to use Google’s billing platform, they’ll pay lower fees as well.

In-app content will now have a 5 percent Google billing fee, plus a 15 percent service fee for new installs. Existing installs will have a higher 20 percent service fee. Flat rate app and game purchases will be set at 15 percent total for new installs. The service fee for ongoing subscriptions will be 10 percent. These are all modest reductions on the previous rates, which have been cut down in recent years, but the flat 30 percent Play Store share is well and truly dead. Google plans to roll out the new fee structure in the US, UK, and Europe by June 30. The rest of the world will come later, with the rollout wrapping up in September 2027.

We may have to wait a bit longer for the app store changes to roll out. Google has agreed to a raft of reforms for alternative app stores, including a registration system that will elevate them to first-class status on Android. Google is a bit vague about this, but the idea is that once a store has done its due diligence with Google, you’ll be able to install the client and use it to download apps with less friction than with basic sideloading. Epic CEO Tim Sweeny confirms the Epic Game Store will be part of the program.

Google has said in the past that its upcoming developer verification system will allow for entire app stores to be verified to take pressure off individual developers, but it’s unclear if that’s a component of the app store registration process. We’ve asked Google for clarification.

The latest legal filing includes an early look at how registered app stores will be installed.

Google has confirmed to Ars Technica that the catalog mirroring from Judge Donato’s original order is part of the settlement. That means app stores in Google’s registration program will get all the apps offered in the Play Store. Google was strongly opposed to this element of the remedies in court, but it may feel it has no choice if it wants the settlement to pass muster. With access to the wealth of apps already in Google Play, alternative stores may be a viable option on Android almost overnight. However, developers will have the ability to opt-out of having their content listed in other stores.

Because the changes around alternative app stores require court approval in the US, the company says it will first launch the Registered App Store program internationally. The program will expand to the US when Google gets the OK. And yes, Fortnite is coming back to the Play Store soon.

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Key Takeaways

• Google and Epic look to bury the hatchet with new app store settlementvar abtest_2143694 = new ABTest(2143694, 'click');

• Google is in the midst of rewriting the rules for mobile applications, spurred by ongoing legal cases and an apparent desire to clamp down on perceived security weaknesses

• A US court ruled against Google in the case back in 2023, and the remedies announced in 2024 threatened to upend Google’s Play Store model

• Epic leadership professed interest in leveling the playing field for all developers on Android’s platform

• It’s starting to look like both companies want to get this case wrapped up