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WASHINGTON, (Reuters) Nov 4 - Alphabet's (GOOGL.O), Google said on Tuesday it has reached a comprehensive U.S. court settlement with "Fortnite" video game maker Epic Games, agreeing to Android and app store reforms aimed at lowering fees, boosting competition and expanding choices for developers and consumers.

In a joint filing in the federal court in San Francisco, the companies asked U.S. District Judge James Donato to consider a proposal resolving Epic's 2020 antitrust lawsuit, which accused Google of illegally monopolizing how users access apps and make in-app purchases on Android devices.

Google has denied any wrongdoing throughout the closely watched litigation.

The proposal requires Donato's approval. The judge oversaw a jury trial in 2023 that Epic won and last year he issued a sweeping injunction mandating Play app store reforms that Google said went too far. Google said the reforms potentially harmed its competitive position and compromised user safety.

Under the new proposal, Google would allow users to more easily download and install third-party app stores that meet new security and safety standards.

Developers will also be allowed to direct users to alternative payment methods both within apps and via external web links. Google said it would implement a capped service fee of either 9% or 20% on transactions in Play-distributed apps that use alternative payment options.

Sameer Samat, Google's president of Android Ecosystem, said on Tuesday the proposed changes maintained user safety while increasing flexibility for developers and consumers. Samat said Google looked forward to discussing the resolution with Donato, who is expected on Thursday to meet with lawyers involved with the case at a previously scheduled hearing.

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney called Google's proposal "awesome" and said it "genuinely doubles down on Android's original vision as an open platform."

Google unsuccessfully challenged Donato's injunction in a federal appeals court, which upheld it in a ruling in July. The U.S. Supreme Court last month declined Google's request to temporarily freeze parts of the injunction.

Tuesday's court filing from Google and Epic asked Donato to modify his injunction, while keeping many parts of it intact.

Google faces other lawsuits from government, consumer and commercial plaintiffs challenging its search and advertising business practices. It has denied violating state and federal laws in those cases.

https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/google-proposes-app-store-reforms-settlement-with-fortnite-maker-epic-games-2025-11-05/

 

[Generic]

Tim single-handedly saving the videogame industry.

 

[Punished Miku]

Good. It's truly absurd that phones got away with this at all. It's like if Windows was allowed to only have MS stores and nothing else.

 

[Erebus]

Can't you already install other marketplaces on Android?

 

[mrqs]

Another W for Tim Sweeney

 

[DR3AM]

GamePass on PlayStation lets gooo

 

[Magic Carpet]

Got my brand spankin new iPhone 17 Pro Max yesterday. Hopefully that new gaming app will have more 'normal' games on it soon. No more of that 'get' freemium BS.
Both Apple and Google have to understand what a disaster those stores have become. Wasteland.

 

[Kerotan]

Can't you already install other marketplaces on Android?

I thought this aswell?

 

[Xion_Stellar]

So are they still going to require side loaded apps to have a developer name attached to it in 2027? Because I don't care about any of this stuff I just want them to stop trying their hardest to kill ReVanced Manager/Apps which I use.

 

[winjer]

Can't you already install other marketplaces on Android?

Yes, it's possible to sideload apps and even other stores on Android.

But Google plans to close on sideloading on Android, in a future version of the OS.

 

[yurinka]

Good news

 

[Rockondevil]

Good. It's truly absurd that phones got away with this at all. It's like if Windows was allowed to only have MS stores and nothing else.

Yeah, or like a digital only console only having access to the Sony/Xbox store.

 

[Punished Miku]

Yeah, or like a digital only console only having access to the Sony/Xbox store.

The plot thickens.

I personally don't find those things as equivalent since phones are basically a PC replacement at this point and critical for commerce across a wide array of products, work, and productivity. It's basically like Windows now.

 

[Soodanim]

So are they still going to require side loaded apps to have a developer name attached to it in 2027? Because I don't care about any of this stuff I just want them to stop trying their hardest to kill ReVanced Manager/Apps which I use.

This is my big question. From time to time I entertain the idea of going back to Android, but if they're going to lock down one freedom to control your own device the way you see fit then they're creating a system where they're just Apple with more advertising.

 

[Tobimacoss]

Good. It's truly absurd that phones got away with this at all. It's like if Windows was allowed to only have MS stores and nothing else.

Here comes the Xbox Mobile Store. Keeper plays really well with touch controls.

 

[Punished Miku]

Here comes the Xbox Mobile Store. Keeper plays really well with touch controls.

I just want to be able to use the Xbox app for cloud and buying games and starting downloads. Just makes it a portable Xbox basically.

 

[ReasonBeing]

Good. It's truly absurd that phones got away with this at all. It's like if Windows was allowed to only have MS stores and nothing else.

What is flying beneath the radar is how this is tied to Google new policies that will restrict the free deployment of apps for a supposedly open platform. From what I understand, Google will require any program to by signed in order to be launched in the platform. I won't get into the implications of such a requirement, but there are a myriad of reasons why this will make Android a less open platform in the long run.

 

[Magic Carpet]

The plot thickens.

I personally don't find those things as equivalent since phones are basically a PC replacement at this point and critical for commerce across a wide array of products, work, and productivity. It's basically like Windows now.

I had a thought, Do cruise ships have 3rd party stores on board? I demand that my shop gets a space on board.

 

[Panajev2001a]

Yes, it's possible to sideload apps and even other stores on Android.

But Google plans to close on sideloading on Android, in a future version of the OS.

I am still not ok on Google taking a single penny out of alternate payment methods. Sounds like an accounting nightmare to manage for the devs…

 

[ReasonBeing]

I had a thought, Do cruise ships have 3rd party stores on board? I demand that my shop gets a space on board.

They actually do. Many retail shops on cruise ships are operated by third party concessionaires rather than the cruise lines themselves.

 

[Magic Carpet]

They actually do. Many retail shops on cruise ships are operated by third party concessionaires rather than the cruise lines themselves.

I'm jut picturing all these little shops being towed behind the cruise ship on little rafts, So this why they call the Apple and Google stores an 'Ocean of garbage'

 

[ReasonBeing]

I'm jut picturing all these little shops being towed behind the cruise ship on little rafts, So this why they call the Apple and Google stores an 'Ocean of garbage'

That would be an interesting way of doing it

 

[Loomy]

This fight has always been incredibly dumb and short sighted from Google's perspective.

 

[Durin]

I'm conflicted because the good news of Google being forced to open the platform to other storefronts is cool, but then the new limits on sideloading close off their platform in another way.

Dumb that we ever let the standards for mobile OSs get so much worse than Windows, MacOS and Linux, that you have one company getting to take a cut off everything sold. Especially when the Google Play Store isn't anything impressive.

 

[Griffon]

Yes, it's possible to sideload apps and even other stores on Android.

But Google plans to close on sideloading on Android, in a future version of the OS.

Nice that it is being prevented then. Tim is doing a good thing here.