Epic Games And Google Reach Legal Settlement After Years Of Court Battles

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Google and Epic Games have been fighting in court since 2020, when Google removed Fortnite from its app store due to a disagreement over payments. Now, it looks like they’ve reached an agreement, but a judge still needs to approve it.

Sameer Samat, Google’s head of Android, recently announced plans for updates to Android and the Google Play Store. These changes aim to give developers more options and control, reduce costs, and promote competition, all while maintaining user security.

We’ve teamed up with Epic Games to suggest some improvements to Android and Google Play. These changes are designed to give developers more options and freedom, reduce costs, and promote healthy competition – all while protecting users. If approved, this will resolve our…

— Sameer Samat (@ssamat) November 5, 2025

So, Tim Sweeney, the guy who runs Epic Games, just chimed in about the settlement, and he’s calling it a pretty complete fix. But he was quick to point out this isn’t the end of the war with Apple. He basically said Google’s approach is different – they’re letting some competition happen, unlike Apple who’s blocked all other app stores and only allowed competition through payments.

Google has offered a promising solution, pending court approval, to resolve the Epic Games lawsuit. This proposal would make Android more open in the US, allowing users to easily install app stores from different companies and potentially lowering the fees developers pay for services.

— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) November 5, 2025

Last year, Epic Games successfully sued Google, initially requiring Google to allow other app stores within the Google Play Store for three years. The ruling also meant Google couldn’t force developers to only use Google Play Billing for processing payments from users.

Instead, the proposed agreement would last until June 2032 and apply globally, not just in the United States. Google would lower its standard app fee to 20% or 9%, based on how the purchase is made. Plus, Google promises to make it easier for app stores other than its own to connect with users.

According to Google’s Dan Jackson, the new fees being discussed aren’t related to Google Play Billing. However, users will still be able to pay using alternative payment methods.

According to Jackson, developers won’t be charged a billing fee by Google if users opt to pay using a different payment method.

Epic Games and Google are scheduled to meet with the judge overseeing their case later this week to talk about a potential settlement. If the judge approves the agreement, it will officially end their legal battle.

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2025-11-05 19:09