Google has finally loosened its grip on the Android kingdom. In a landmark settlement with Fortnite creator Epic Games, the tech giant has agreed to tear down some of the barriers that have long frustrated developers and fueled antitrust battles.
Filed in a San Francisco federal court, the proposal marks the possible end of a four-year legal clash that accused Google of running its Play Store like a digital monopoly — dictating how apps could be installed and how money flowed within them. Epic’s 2020 lawsuit had called out Google for stifling competition and overcharging developers through mandatory fees and restrictive practices.
If approved by Judge James Donato, the deal will reshape how Android users and developers interact. Google would be required to make third-party app stores easier to install — provided they meet new safety standards — and allow developers to guide users toward their own payment systems, both in-app and through external links.
To balance the scales, Google plans to cap its service fees on these transactions at 9% or 20%, depending on the app’s setup. The new rules apply to apps first installed or updated from Google Play after October 30.
Sameer Samat, who leads Google’s Android Ecosystem, described the reforms as a careful compromise — one that preserves user safety while opening new lanes for developers. Epic Games’ CEO Tim Sweeney saw it differently: he called the move “awesome,” framing it as a return to Android’s founding spirit — a truly open platform.
This proposal doesn’t come from a position of strength. Google had already lost a jury trial in 2023, followed by a sweeping injunction that forced it to reform the Play Store. After its appeal failed and the Supreme Court refused to pause enforcement, Google had little choice but to come to the table.
The deal could also put to rest Epic’s separate lawsuit against Google and Samsung over app downloads, after Epic settled with Samsung earlier this year.
Still, Google’s legal headaches are far from over. The company continues to battle a mountain of lawsuits over its search and advertising dominance — all while trying to convince regulators that it isn’t the gatekeeper critics say it is.
For now, one of Silicon Valley’s most-watched rivalries seems to have reached a fragile truce — and Android users might finally see what real choice feels like.
