Epic & Google Play Nice-ish: Fees, Fights, and Friendly Fire
In the epic saga of Epic v. Google, which almost ended with a Supreme Court cameo on Nov 6, 2024, both parties abruptly decided to be besties Tuesday evening. Judge James Donato, known for his kink in making Google share Androidâs toys, might approve changes that open Android worldwide till June 2032âyes, six-and-a-half years of Google playing nice! Epicâs Tim Sweeney praised Googleâs new 20% or 9% fee cuts (plus a confusing 5% Play Billing side fee) and neutral, scare-screen-free installs. Google Play can even hypothetically fee you for buying on Epicâs website within 24 hours. True friendship has fuzzy boundaries!
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Google and Epic just hugged it out but still sneak fees through backdoors, because nothing says 'competition' like a global truce where you pay multiple fees to play the game. Androidâs new motto: freedom to choose your fee game, globally, till 2032.
Epic and Googleâs settlement is like agreeing to share candy but charging per bite with optional extra fees hidden in the wrapper. Welcome to the worldâs longest friendship with a complicated price tag!
Itâs impressive how Google can make a simple app store dispute look like a decade-long soap opera starring fees, frenemy alliances, and âfriendlyâ court orders that sound like user manuals for corporate loopholes.
Source: Theverge | Published: 11/5/2025 | Author: Sean Hollister
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