Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney calls Google’s proposal in its antitrust settlement with the Fortnite maker a “comprehensive solution” that “truly doubles down on Android’s vision of being an open platform.”
The companies reached a settlement on Tuesday in which the search giant agreed to reforms to the Android app store, including lower fees and allowing for more competition.
Under the new proposal, which still requires a judge’s approval, Google would allow Android app developers to direct users to alternative payment mechanisms within their apps or through external web links. Additionally, the maximum fees Google can charge developers are set at 9% or 20%, depending on the type of transaction and the date the app was installed.
Sameer Samat, Google’s president of the Android ecosystem, wrote in a post on X that the company’s proposed changes are “focused on increasing developer choice and flexibility, lowering prices, and fostering more competition, while keeping users safe.” If approved by the court, the deal would end antitrust litigation.
Sweeney hailed the proposal as “brilliant” and contrasted it with Apple’s model, which focuses on “blocking all competing stores and leaving payments as the only vector of competition.”
Apple says its policy is to protect consumers and manage the security of the App Store. That said, the iPhone maker recently reported record revenue for its services business, which includes the App Store. The segment’s revenue increased 15% year-over-year to $28.75 billion last quarter.
Epic Games has sued both Google and Apple, accusing their respective app store ecosystems of being anticompetitive, alleging that the companies exercise undue control, charge excessive fees, and favor their own in-app payment systems. Apple almost won its lawsuit with Epic, but it did have to change the App Store rules to allow for different payment options. But Google withdrew its appeal in July after a jury found the search giant was stifling competition and needed to make changes.
After the win, Sweeney announced that the Epic Games Store for Android is coming to the Google Play Store.
According to the application, the fee also depends on the date of installation of the app, which was updated after publication.
