The Epic Games Store is officially heading to the Google Play Store, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney confirmed, marking a major shift in the mobile app distribution landscape. The announcement comes shortly after Epic Games secured a legal victory against Alphabet’s Google in a landmark antitrust case.
“Thanks to the verdict, the Epic Games Store for Android will be coming to the Google Play Store!” Sweeney tweeted. He also noted that the store is already available globally via epicgames.com, and highlighted that the Epic Games Store for PC already supports third-party platforms like itch.io and GOG Galaxy.
Legal Verdict
The move follows a U.S. appeals court decision that upheld a 2023 jury verdict in favor of Epic. The jury had found that Google unlawfully restricted competition on Android by controlling how apps are distributed and how in-app purchases are processed.
U.S. District Judge James Donato had previously ordered Google to implement several reforms aimed at restoring competition. These included allowing rival app stores to be downloaded within Google Play and requiring Google to share its app catalog with competitors. That order had been on hold, pending appeal, but the recent decision from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals allows it to move forward — unless overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Google argued during the appeal that it competes with Apple’s App Store and should have been allowed to make that case more fully during trial. It also claimed the court erred by allowing a jury to hear Epic’s request for injunctive relief rather than having a judge decide.
Epic has maintained that Google’s Play Store practices have harmed competition in the Android ecosystem for years. The U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Trade Commission, and Microsoft all filed briefs in support of Epic’s position.
Separately, Epic is also entangled in a similar battle with Apple over App Store policies, appealing a ruling that accused Apple of violating an earlier injunction related to in-app purchases.
With this recent victory, Epic is now poised to expand its digital storefront footprint on Android — not just through sideloading or its website, but directly within Google’s Play Store itself.
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