Google Offers Epic a Truce — and a Makeover for Android’s App Store

Reuters, Bloomberg, PYMNTS, the Verge, and the Guardian contributed to this report.

Five years after Epic sued Google for “locking down” Android, the two sides are asking a federal judge to bless a settlement that would crack open the Play Store and chip away at Google’s fees.

The proposal, filed in San Francisco, would make it easier for people to download and install third-party app stores that meet new safety standards, and it would let developers steer users to other ways to pay — inside apps and via web links — without living in fear of being booted. Google says it will cap the service cut on those non-Play payments at 9% or 20%, depending on the transaction, for apps first installed or updated from Google Play after Oct. 30. Developers can still offer Google Play Billing side-by-side, but they won’t be forced to use it.

Epic’s Tim Sweeney, who kicked this all off in 2020 by accusing Google of monopolizing app access and in-app purchases, called the deal “awesome” and said it doubles down on Android’s promise as an open platform. Google, which continues to deny wrongdoing, is pitching the changes as a balance of “user safety” with more flexibility for devs and consumers. The plan still needs approval from Judge James Donato, who previously ruled for Epic and ordered far-reaching Play Store reforms.

Even if this settles the Fortnite fight, Google’s antitrust headaches aren’t over. The company is still battling government and private lawsuits over its search and advertising businesses.