SAN FRANCISCO, March 5, 2026, 2:06 PM PST
Google is slashing Play Store fees, expanding billing options, and opening the door for competing app stores to reach Android users—a sweeping overhaul that settles its long-running global standoff with Epic Games and paves the way for Fortnite’s worldwide return. “This gives app stores more ways to reach users and gives users more ways to easily and safely access the apps and games they love,” said Sameer Samat, president of Android Ecosystem at Google. 1
This shift hits a part of Google’s business that the company has long protected, landing while Alphabet remains locked in regulatory fights over its search dominance on both sides of the Atlantic. Alphabet’s Class C shares (GOOG) slipped roughly 0.8% to $300.91 as of the afternoon session. 2
Google is giving developers the option to adopt their own billing systems alongside Google Play’s, or to steer users to external websites for transactions. In the U.S., Britain, and European Economic Area, those sticking with Google’s billing will take on a separate 5% billing fee. The company’s service fee is dropping to 20% for first-time installs and 10% for ongoing subscriptions, with these changes landing in those regions by June 30, and elsewhere by Sept. 30, 2027. Google’s Registered App Stores program is launching outside the U.S. first, aiming to streamline direct installs of approved third-party stores on Android devices. 3
Google isn’t changing its alternative billing and external-link policies for U.S. mobile and tablet apps just yet. Both Google and Epic are taking their request for a revised injunction to a federal judge, so the wider changes in the U.S. are still waiting on court approval. 4
Epic CEO Tim Sweeney called the move a major step, telling the Associated Press it “really brings Android up to the status of a truly open platform.” But he struck a different tone on Apple. Epic’s legal battle over iPhone payment policies remains unresolved in court. 5
Back in 2020, Epic went after Google, alleging it had locked up the Android app market and stifled other payment options. Fast forward to late 2023: a jury hands Epic a win. Then, in October 2024, U.S. District Judge James Donato in San Francisco tells Google to open the gates—users must be allowed to get rival app stores and use alternative in-app payments, effective for three years. 6
Google pushed back, but Reuters said in July 2025 it lost the appeal on the Epic verdict. By October, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to pause critical pieces of the injunction—forcing the company to start rethinking Play’s structure before the broader legal battle wrapped. 7
Google’s actions this week follow a wider settlement struck with Epic last November. As Reuters noted at the time, the agreement—reached in U.S. court—commits Google to Android and app-store changes meant to cut fees, expand options for developers and make things easier for users. 8
Still, the concessions might not put the issue to bed. According to Bloomberg, analysts had pegged the potential hit to Google’s gross annual revenue from mandated app-store changes at roughly $1 billion. Reuters noted back in December that Google could also be looking at a hefty EU fine if officials determine that Google Play’s adjustments fall short. 9
