Google and Epic Games Settle Antitrust Dispute, Fortnite Set to Return to Google Play Store Worldwide

Google has officially moved forward with a settlement agreement to end its long-running antitrust legal battle with Epic Games.

Epic Games founder and CEO Tim Sweeney confirmed the news on X, writing, "Fortnite will return to Google Play Store worldwide soon," and adding that the Epic Games Store will continue supporting Android alongside Windows and Mac, with easier installation expected later in 2026.

For context, Fortnite was pulled from the Google Play Store in 2020 after Epic introduced a direct payment system that bypassed Google's billing, triggering the entire legal dispute. The game had already made a partial return to the U.S. Play Store in December 2025 following an earlier settlement agreement, but this new deal extends that return globally.

The settlement is still pending final court approval, with Google seeking an April 9 hearing before U.S. Judge James Donato. But Google has already announced sweeping changes to its Play Store policies.

So what exactly is changing? The biggest headline is the fee cut. Google is dropping its standard in-app purchase service fee from 30% to 20% for new installs. On top of that, recurring subscription fees are being slashed to just 10%.

According to Google's Android Developers Blog, the updated fees will go live for U.S., UK, and European Economic Area customers by June 30, 2026. Australia follows on September 30, with Korea and Japan by the end of the year, and a full global rollout expected by September 2027.

Another important change involves payment flexibility. Developers will now be able to offer their own billing systems alongside Google Play’s payment option. They will also be allowed to direct users to external websites for purchases.

Beyond fees, Google is also launching something called the Registered App Stores program. This allows third-party app stores to go through a certification process. One of Epic's core complaints throughout this legal fight was that Google's sideloading warnings treated legitimate stores like security threats. That friction is now being addressed. The program launches outside the U.S. first and will expand domestically once court approval is confirmed.

Speaking to the Associated Press, Sweeney said, "Epic has been advocating for open platforms for a long time and this really brings Android up to the status of a truly open platform."

Sameer Samat, Google's president of Android Ecosystem, added, "We think it's really great to focus more energy and time on building than on quarreling."