Epic’s lawsuit win forces Google to make big changes to Play Store: Here’s how

There’s a seismic shift underway in the Android universe, as the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a blockbuster and Epic (pun intended) verdict against Google. In practical terms, this meant the court agreed, yet again, that Google’s Play Store empire is full of anticompetitive measures, with a wall erected to keep alternative app stores and payment platforms out.

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For years, Google’s tightening grip on Android app distribution has been as subtle as a velvet noose. Developers had no options, but this sink or swim choice – play by Google’s rules or watch their businesses hobbled by 30% fees, opaque policies, and risk getting banned. Consumers, equally, were left with a less than ideal shopping experience – with no price wars, no flash sales from upstarts, and certainly no app catalogs that challenged the Play Store’s dominant designs.

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Epic vs Google: A quick background

Picture the Play Store as a gleaming fortress with walls so thick that no one could scale them without Google’s say-so. That fortress metaphor grew more surreal when Judge James Donato’s permanent injunction, first issued in October 2024, demanded those ramparts be lowered for access to more developers and consumer choice. 

Also read: Google loses antitrust fight to Epic Games, judge orders to revamp Play Store policies

Now, with the Ninth Circuit’s stamp of approval, Google must let rival app stores set up shop inside the Play Store, share its app catalogue with competitors, and drop exclusivity payments that once silenced developers’ bargaining power.

Until now, if game publishers wanted to reach billions of Android users, they had to pay up on Google’s terms. As Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney put it, this ruling is a “total victory,” opening the door for the Epic Games Store on Android, rolling back an era where every tap in the Play Store funneled straight back to Google’s coffers.

More power to developers in Play Store

Walk in a developer’s shoes for a moment. You’ve built a slick app – maybe a calorie-tracking companion or a multiplayer adventure – and Google’s 30% commission fee feels like an inescapable toll booth on their highway of aspirations. 

It’s especially brutal for indie studios and small businesses operating on tight margins. Some studios have resorted to direct-download workarounds, posting APKs on their websites. Others have split bundles – using Google’s billing only for non-game purchases – juggling technical hoops just to dodge a fee they view as punitive.

Also read: Google appeals to halt Play Store changes ordered in Epic case, citing user safety risks

Now imagine a world where developers can say to users, “Hey, you can download our app from our own store inside your Play Store,” or “We have our own billing system that charges you 10 percent instead of 30.” That’s not just saving developers millions, but it’s breathing new life into creative risks thanks to the additional savings.

Epic vs Google: Consumers win too

For consumers, the upside is equally dramatic. Tech insiders have long cursed the “walled garden” of Android – not so much because it’s less open than iOS, but because Google’s dominance stifled real choice. 

No longer will savvy users be boxed into Google Pay or nudged toward in-app purchases they didn’t need. Alternative billing platforms could introduce loyalty programs, seasonal discounts, or lower transaction fees that actually make their way back to the end user.

Google argues user safety and security

Security and safety arguments from Google’s camp have a kernel of truth – unchecked stores can harbour malware – but it’s something that Google has done in the past as well. This current injunction doesn’t throw the doors wide open. It simply levels the playing field. 

Also read: Epic Games CEO calls Apple and Google ‘gangster-style businesses’, here’s why

Android already supports third-party installations. What changes now is the ease and transparency, as developers can openly guide users, and users can download alternate stores without a secret handshake.

What happens next

Google’s next move will almost certainly be an appeal to the US Supreme Court, arguing that these changes threaten user safety and innovation. Still, the injunction takes effect immediately, meaning time is already ticking on Google’s public-facing policies.

More importantly, there’s a broader cultural undercurrent here – consumers and developers alike are growing weary of tech monopolies. From cloud-gaming to digital wallets, every corner of our digital lives has become a battleground for control. Today, Android app distribution is the front line.

The Ninth Circuit’s ruling isn’t just a legal footnote – it looks like the first step on a road that could redefine mobile ecosystems as we have come to know them. As the dust settles, what will matter most is how swiftly alternative stores spring up, how creatively they compete on billing, and how many developers take the leap.

As far as Google is concerned, there can be no doubt that Android’s fortress walls have large visible cracks. The question is whether the search engine giant can adapt to a world where its tenants hold the keys.

Also read: Epic Games wins legal battle against Apple: iOS Fortnite relaunch confirmed?

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Jayesh Shinde

Executive Editor at Digit. Technology journalist since Jan 2008, with stints at Indiatimes.com and PCWorld.in. Enthusiastic dad, reluctant traveler, weekend gamer, LOTR nerd, pseudo bon vivant. View Full Profile