Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR Google and Epic Games have proposed a settlement to resolve their five-year-long legal dispute over the Play Store’s alleged monopolization of user choice and in-app purchases.
Both companies have jointly filed the proposed settlement with the court.
Under the proposal, Google will allow greater flexibility for developers to distribute apps and process payments outside of Google Play, thereby also expanding choices for Play Store users.
Google and Epic Games may finally be close to ending their long-running legal dispute over the Play Store. Both companies have jointly filed a proposed settlement with the court, which could bring about big changes to how Android and Google Play operate.
In a post on X, Sameer Samat, Google’s President of Android Ecosystem, announced that the companies have “filed a proposed set of changes to Android and Google Play that focus on expanding developer choice and flexibility, lowering fees, and encouraging more competition — all while keeping users safe.” Samat added that if approved, the proposal would resolve their ongoing litigations. A hearing is scheduled for Thursday.
Tim Sweeney and Sameer Samat/X
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Epic CEO Tim Sweeney also wrote about the proposed changes on X, calling Google’s proposal “an awesome” and “comprehensive solution” that doubles down on Android’s “original vision as an open platform.” According to Sweeney, the proposal would streamline competing store installs “globally,” reduce Play Store service fees, and allow third-party in-app and web payments, highlighting all the key points Epic has long fought for all this time.
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