Google's Epic settlement is no more, but it's actually a good thing

The post Google's Epic settlement is no more, but it's actually a good thing appeared first on Android Headlines .

The settlement between Google and Epic is over, but not because the two companies have decided to go back at it in court, rather they have both decided that the battle is done and Google will simply abide by Epic’s requests to open up Google Play to rivals. On July 14, 2026, both Google and Epic agreed to withdraw their joint attempt for the lawsuit settlement, and Google will now be required to open up Google Play to rival app stores. Google’s settlement with Epic came after years of fighting in court over Google’s anti-competitive practices and what was determined to be Google’s monopoly with the Play Store.

It was a big win for Epic with that judgement, but even after the win, it would still take years more to get to the point where it would finally get what it was fighting for. As of now, Google is opening up the Play Store rivals starting next week. With the Epic settlement over, Google will open up the Play Store to rivals on July 22 It won’t be long before Google opens up the Play Store to rivals.

In fact, Google says it’ll be doing just that on July 22. That’s next week Wednesday, which means users are very close to getting stores like the Epic Games Store, and perhaps the Xbox Store from Microsoft, inside of Google Play as alternate store options. The agreement to end the settlement does not mention any stores in particular.

Google does confirm that while alternative app stores will be available, apps downloaded from those stores will not be exempt from fees, nor will the stores themselves. The alternative marketplaces will have to pay Google a $5,000 fee on an annual basis, for starters. Apps downloaded from those marketplaces will also still use Google Play’s system for payments, and will be subjected to fees for purchases made.

The post Google's Epic settlement is no more, but it's actually a good thing appeared first on Android Headlines .