Google has officially lost its case against Epic Games

A San Francisco court has rejected Google’s appeal in the antitrust case brought by Epic Games, upholding the previous ruling: Google must open its app store to third-party developers and competing platforms.

The conflict between the two companies dates back to 2020, when Google removed Fortnite from the Play Store after Epic allowed users to make direct payments, bypassing Google’s 30% commission. Epic then filed a lawsuit, accusing Google of abusing its dominant market position.

Back in October 2024, the court sided with Epic: Google Play must become an open platform. Android users will be able to install third-party app stores directly from Google Play, and developers will gain access to its app catalog.

Implementation of the ruling had been delayed due to Google’s appeal. But with that now dismissed, the company is required to comply within three years — a move that could significantly reshape the mobile app distribution landscape on Android.