Google Drops Play Store Commission To 20%, Opens Door To Rival App Stores
Google and Epic Games have announced a revised settlement intended to end their landmark antitrust dispute over Google Play Store fees and app distribution rules. The agreement, filed on March 4, 2026 in U.S. District Court (Epic Games v. Google LLC, Case No. 3:20-cv-05671-JD), would fundamentally reshape how Android app distribution and payment processing work worldwide.
Background: How The Dispute Started
The conflict began in 2020 when Epic Games attempted to bypass Google’s payment system in Fortnite to avoid paying the traditional 30% commission on in-app purchases. Google removed Fortnite from the Play Store in response. In December 2023, a jury found that Google held an illegal monopoly over Android app distribution and in-app billing, and a federal judge issued an injunction in October 2024 threatening major changes to Google’s app store business model.
After an earlier proposed settlement in November 2025 that Judge James Donato criticized as potentially favoring Epic too much, the companies revised their agreement with clearer limits on fees and broader reforms.
New Fee Structure: What Changes For Developers
The flat 30% commission is effectively eliminated, replaced with a tiered system of reduced fees:
- Standard in-app purchases: Reduced from 30% to 20%
- Subscriptions: Reduced from 15% to 10%
- Apps Experience Program participants (new installs): 15%
- Google Play Billing add-on: An additional 5% if developers choose to use Google’s own billing system
- Alternative billing: Developers can now use alternative payment systems or direct users outside the app to complete purchases on the web
Registered App Stores Program
Google must launch a “Registered App Stores” program — a new installation flow in Android (expected with Android 17 by end of 2026) that makes it easy for users to install competing app stores. The program will display what each store offers and link to relevant policies. The Epic Games Store for Android will be one of the first participants, and Fortnite returns to Google Play Store globally under this deal.
Global Rollout Timeline
The fee changes and new policies will roll out in phases:
- U.S., U.K., and EEA: June 30, 2026
- Australia: September 30, 2026
- Korea and Japan: December 31, 2026
- All remaining markets: September 30, 2027
Judge Questions Who Really Benefits
U.S. District Judge James Donato has expressed skepticism about the settlement, questioning whether it truly benefits small developers and consumers or primarily advantages the two large companies. During proceedings, it was revealed that Epic and Google had a previously undisclosed 00 million partnership spanning six years covering joint product development, marketing, and partnerships around Unreal Engine, Fortnite, and Android — raising questions about whether the settlement is partly a “sweetheart arrangement.”
Separate 00 Million Consumer Settlement
This structural settlement is separate from the 00 million State AG Google Play Store settlement (State of Utah et al. v. Google), which provides cash payments to U.S. consumers who made Google Play purchases between August 16, 2016 and September 30, 2023. That settlement requires no claim form for most eligible consumers — payments are distributed automatically via PayPal or Venmo. The final approval hearing is scheduled for April 30, 2026.
For more details on the consumer settlement, visit the Google Play Store 00M settlement page on OpenClassActions.com or the official settlement website.
OpenClassActions.org is not affiliated with Google, Epic Games, or any settlement administrator. This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.