Google and Epic Video games attain settlement for antitrust lawsuit

Google and Epic Video games have reached a settlement that may deliver their years-long court battle to a detailed. The businesses have filed a proposal within the federal courtroom of San Francisco, asking US District Choose James Donato to approve a modified model of the order he initially imposed on Google when it misplaced the case. “Along with Epic Video games we have now filed a proposed set of adjustments to Android and Google Play that target increasing developer selection and suppleness, reducing charges, and inspiring extra competitors all whereas preserving customers protected,” stated Sameer Samat, the President of Android Ecosystem at Google, on X.

Epic Video games CEO Tim Sweeney praised the proposal for “genuinely [doubling] down on Android’s authentic imaginative and prescient as an open platform to streamline competing retailer installs globally, cut back service charges for builders on Google Play and allow third-party in-app and internet funds.” Epic Video games sued Google in 2020, accusing it of an unlawful monopoly on app distribution and in-app billing providers for Android units.

The courtroom sided with Epic Games in late 2023, and Google lost its appeal in July this 12 months. Google tried to ask the Supreme Court to dam the injunction Donato handed down, which required the corporate to make main adjustments to the Play Retailer, whereas it appealed the case once more. However the Supreme Court docket denied its request. Meaning Google might be prohibited from paying producers and app builders to completely set up and distribute on the Play Retailer, respectively. It can even be prohibited from forcing builders to solely use its fee system, and it should permit third-party app shops to be put in on Android units.

Google will nonetheless need to comply with most of Donato’s orders underneath the proposal, however the firms made some modifications. To start out with, they’ve labored out the way to “permit builders and customers to seamlessly use different fee mechanisms,” each in-app and through exterior hyperlinks, whereas adhering to Google’s safety and security requirements. They’ve additionally specified the utmost charges Google can cost for each in-app and linked transactions, that are 9 % or 20 %, relying on the kind of transaction. This price cap additionally is determined by when the app in query was put in. Particularly, the fee caps on third celebration in-app fee programs would solely apply to new app installs.

The businesses have recognized “affordable, impartial standards” that third-party shops can be required to fulfill, as nicely. Customers will simply have the ability to obtain shops that meet these standards to allow them to compete in opposition to the Play Retailer and one another world wide.

Samat stated that the businesses are assembly with Choose Donato on Thursday, and if he approves of the proposal, it “would resolve [the] litigations.”

Replace, November 5, 2025, 2:22PM ET: This story has been up to date with extra particulars on how the price caps for in-app purchases and linked transactions work.