Epic Games for Android will be available on Google Store following court ruling

What you need to know

• A Ninth Circuit ruling this week sides in favor of Epic Games, allowing its Android app store to be placed within the Google Play Store.
• It's been reported that Google will seemingly seek an appeal, potentially through the "full Ninth Circuit first."
• Epic and Google have been at this fight for years now, which all started due to the latter's anti-competitive practices against third-party developers.

Epic Games is basking in a recent victory against Google over its monopoly and anti-competitive practices with its Android app store.

On July 31, Epic Games' CEO Tim Sweeney posted positivity in the fight against Google's anti-competitive practices, stating, "Total victory in the Epic v Google appeal!" This was in response to the Ninth Circuit siding with Epic this week. As a result, Sweeney adds that the Epic Games Store will soon debut on the Google Play Store.

Sweeney reiterates that Epic Games for Android is already available globally for users as a side-loadable app via its website. However, with it coming to the Play Store, users can have an easier time downloading it onto their phones and other devices.

The Verge chimed in with more details, stating the two areas the jury found Google guilty of illegally monopolizing were "Android app distribution" and "in-app billing." Moreover, the Ninth Circuit's decision this week is reportedly resuming a past injunction that would require Google to open its Play Store to third parties. Aside from Epic, the publication reports that the Google Play Store would have to "effectively open up its app store to competition for three whole years."

Not only will its "rivals" like Epic Games and others have the chance to show up on the Play Store, but Google would be "banned" from requiring apps to utilize its Play Billing service. It's this Play Store policy and grueling 15%-30% cut for in-app purchases that has always been wrapped in Epic's arguments since day one.

Epic wins, but it's not over (yet)

While Epic took a decisive victory over Google this week, The Verge received word from the latter that it would appeal the ruling. The publication says, "While Google did say it will appeal, it could possibly ask for an en banc review from the full Ninth Circuit first."

In 2024, Epic started rolling out its own store for its games on Android and iOS following the removal of Fortnite from those areas. The fight then included Samsung as big tech companies started incorporating anti-competitive features, such as the Korean OEM's "Auto Block" feature, which reportedly heavily deterred users from third parties.

This was essentially wrapped in the sideloading policies companies enforced on their systems. Earlier this year, Epic made a statement, saying, "So far none of the 100 highest grossing mobile game developers are willing to distribute their games on the Epic Games Store because of the Core Technology Fee and Apple and Google’s onerous restrictions and scare screens." Alongside these scare tactics, users attempting to sideload—take the Epic Game Store, for instance—are met with a series of system prompts.

These prompts are often lengthy, forcing users to go through upwards of 12 to 15 steps just to install the Epic Game Store. Following the Ninth Circuit's ruling and the store's availability within the Play Store, this should be much simpler for users.