Google will reduce its Play Store commissions on in-app purchases to 20% and allow alternative app stores following a settlement with Epic Games.
This settlement concludes a multi-year legal dispute concerning alleged anticompetitive practices and reintroduces Epic Games’ Fortnite to the Google Play Store globally, while also enabling Epic to expand its own Android app store.
Google stated Wednesday that its Play Store commissions for in-app purchases will be 20%, with an additional 5% if developers use Google’s billing system.
The company is introducing a Registered App Stores program to simplify the installation of third-party app stores.
Google stated in a blog post, “With these updates, we have also resolved our disputes worldwide with Epic Games.”
The Registered App Stores program, requiring approved stores to meet specific quality and safety standards, will first launch in markets outside the U.S. It will become available in the U.S. once the settlement receives court approval.
Google’s default commission historically matched Apple’s 30%, with a 15% fee for recurring subscriptions. The new “service fee” will be 20% for new app installs and 10% for recurring subscriptions.
This fee structure applies in the U.S., European Economic Area (EEA), and the U.K., with market-specific rates for other countries.
New developer programs, including an Apps Experience Program and a revamped Google Play Games Level Up program, aim to incentivize quality Android app development. Developers participating in these programs will pay a 20% commission on transactions within existing app installs and 15% on transactions from new installs.
These new fees and developer programs are scheduled to take effect by June 30, 2026, in the EEA, U.K., and U.S.
Australia will adopt the new fee structure on September 30, followed by Korea and Japan by December 31. Global implementation is slated for September 30, 2027.
Google stated in its post, “We believe these changes will make for a stronger Android ecosystem with even more successful developers and higher-quality apps and games available across more form factors for everyone.”
Epic Games praised the settlement, stating, “These changes will evolve Android into a true open platform with competition among stores.”
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney posted on X, “THANKS GOOGLE!,” describing the move as “a better deal for all developers.”
Epic Games has an ongoing legal dispute with Apple regarding App Store commissions. Apple was previously mandated to allow developers to link to external payment options; this case is currently under appeal.
