Google is moving forward with a series of Play Store changes after settling a years-long legal battle with Fortnite maker Epic Games over anticompetitive concerns. The tech giant announced it will drop its Play Store commissions to 20% on in-app purchases, with an additional 5% charge if app developers choose to use Google’s own billing system.
It is also making it easier for users to install alternative app stores through a new optional program called the Registered App Stores program. With these updates, Google stated it has resolved its disputes worldwide with Epic Games.
The changes are part of a new settlement between the two rivals that will allow Epic Games to bring Fortnite back to the Google Play Store globally, while also investing in its own alternative app store, the Epic Games Store for Android.
As part of the agreement, Google’s Registered App Stores program will offer a more streamlined installation flow for users who want to install apps from outside of Google Play. One of Epic’s concerns was that the previous process for sideloading apps involved alarming warnings about the danger of non-Play Store apps. While users should be cautious, as sideloaded apps can pose security risks, some third parties like Epic Games wanted to run their own legitimate app stores without these scare tactics.
That program will allow this, as approved stores will need to meet certain quality and safety requirements. The program is coming to markets beyond the U.S. first. Once the settlement is approved by the court, it will launch in the United States as well.
Another notable change is the adjustment to the Play Store commission structure. Google’s default commission has been 30%, with a reduced fee of 15% for recurring subscriptions. Now, it will go even lower: the new service fee will be 20% for in-app purchases on new installs and 10% for recurring subscriptions.
However, this fee does not include the use of Google’s own billing system, which adds another 5%. This rate applies in the U.S., European Economic Area, and the U.K. Other countries will have their own market-specific rates.
There will also be new programs for developers, including an Apps Experience Program and a revamped Google Play Games Level Up program, both of which incentivize developers to build quality experiences on Android. Developers who opt to participate in these programs will pay the 20% commission on transactions from their existing app installs, but only a 15% commission on transactions from new app installs.
These new fees will go live by June 30, 2026, in the European Economic Area, U.K., and U.S. The new developer programs will also launch at that time. Australia will gain access to the new fee structure on September 30, followed by Korea and Japan by December 31. The new fees will expand to the global market by September 30, 2027.
Google believes these changes will make for a stronger Android ecosystem with more successful developers and higher-quality apps and games available across more devices for everyone.
Epic Games praised the settlement and the resulting changes in its own statement, noting that these changes will evolve Android into a true open platform with competition among stores. Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney thanked Google, calling the move a better deal for all developers and stating that Google is opening up Android with robust support for competing stores and payments.
Epic Games has long been involved in a similar lawsuit with Apple over its App Store commissions. Apple was forced to change its policy to give developers the ability to link to outside payment options. That case is under appeal, with Apple most recently winning a partial reversal of the court’s order.