Google Cuts Play Store Commission to 20% and Opens Door to Third-Party App Stores in Epic Games Settlement

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News/Google Cuts Play Store Commission to 20% and Opens Door to Third-Party App Stores in Epic Games Settlement







Google Cuts Play Store Commission to 20% and Opens Door to Third-Party App Stores in Epic Games Settlement

Business

06 March 2026 16:11

TL;DR

  • Google has settled its legal dispute with Epic Games by restructuring its Play Store fees, reducing in-app purchase commissions from 30% to 20% and introducing new lower rates for developers participating in specific programs, with the changes rolling out globally through 2027.
  • The settlement also opens the door to third-party app stores on Android devices worldwide, with an optional sideloading support program launching outside the US first pending court approval, and Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney confirming Fortnite will return to Google Play globally.


Google and Epic Games have reached the end of one of the most consequential legal disputes in mobile gaming history, and the outcome reshapes the economics of the Google Play Store for developers worldwide. Google has announced a restructured fee model that cuts its standard in-app purchase commission from 30% to 20%, introduces lower rates for qualifying developers, and formally opens Android to third-party app stores for the first time at scale.

The settlement, first agreed in November, is now being implemented through concrete policy changes detailed in a blog post by Sameer Samat, president of Google's Android ecosystem. The new model "decouples fees for using [its] billing system and introduces new, lower service fees," according to Samat.

Developers in the EEA, UK, and US will pay a 20% IAP commission plus a 5% service fee under the new structure. Those in the Apps Experience program or the revised Google Play Games Level Up program get further reductions: 20% for existing installs and 15% for new app installs. Market-specific rates apply elsewhere.

The timeline rolls out in stages. EEA, UK, and US developers see changes by June 30, 2026. Australia follows by September 30. Korea and Japan by December 31. A full global rollout lands by September 30, 2027.

The third-party app store component is the more structurally significant change. An optional sideloading support program will allow qualified third-party stores to operate on Android devices, launching outside the US first while the Epic settlement awaits final court approval domestically. That opens the competitive dynamic Epic had been fighting for since Google removed Fortnite from the Play Store in 2020 over its direct payment system.

The practical winner is immediately obvious. Tim Sweeney confirmed Fortnite's return to Google Play globally following the announcement.

Samat framed the changes as a foundation for growth: "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."

More:Phil Spencer Steps Down as Xbox CEO, Sarah Bond Resigns as Asha Sharma Takes the Helm

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Google Cuts Play Store Commission to 20% and Opens Door to Third-Party App Stores in Epic Games Settlement

Business

06 March 2026 16:11

Tags: Google

TL;DR

  • Google has settled its legal dispute with Epic Games by restructuring its Play Store fees, reducing in-app purchase commissions from 30% to 20% and introducing new lower rates for developers participating in specific programs, with the changes rolling out globally through 2027.
  • The settlement also opens the door to third-party app stores on Android devices worldwide, with an optional sideloading support program launching outside the US first pending court approval, and Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney confirming Fortnite will return to Google Play globally.


Google and Epic Games have reached the end of one of the most consequential legal disputes in mobile gaming history, and the outcome reshapes the economics of the Google Play Store for developers worldwide. Google has announced a restructured fee model that cuts its standard in-app purchase commission from 30% to 20%, introduces lower rates for qualifying developers, and formally opens Android to third-party app stores for the first time at scale.

The settlement, first agreed in November, is now being implemented through concrete policy changes detailed in a blog post by Sameer Samat, president of Google's Android ecosystem. The new model "decouples fees for using [its] billing system and introduces new, lower service fees," according to Samat.

Developers in the EEA, UK, and US will pay a 20% IAP commission plus a 5% service fee under the new structure. Those in the Apps Experience program or the revised Google Play Games Level Up program get further reductions: 20% for existing installs and 15% for new app installs. Market-specific rates apply elsewhere.

The timeline rolls out in stages. EEA, UK, and US developers see changes by June 30, 2026. Australia follows by September 30. Korea and Japan by December 31. A full global rollout lands by September 30, 2027.

The third-party app store component is the more structurally significant change. An optional sideloading support program will allow qualified third-party stores to operate on Android devices, launching outside the US first while the Epic settlement awaits final court approval domestically. That opens the competitive dynamic Epic had been fighting for since Google removed Fortnite from the Play Store in 2020 over its direct payment system.

The practical winner is immediately obvious. Tim Sweeney confirmed Fortnite's return to Google Play globally following the announcement.

Samat framed the changes as a foundation for growth: "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."

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