Epic and Google have settled long-standing legal disputes surrounding Play Shop. This means that Fortress Night is about to return to Google Play, and Play Shop will lower shop fees in many major markets this year, and the rest of the world will follow up by 30 September 2027. Google indicated that its primary settlement system would be effectively delinked from Play and that global developers would be able to select pay providers for in-house purchases. Google explains in its blog: “Moving developers will be able to choose to use their own settlement system and Google Play settlement system in their application, or to direct users out of the application to their own website for purchase.”
Google will also reduce the cost of its shops, but the situation is slightly more complex. The 30 per cent flat commission charged by Google for most of its applications will actually be reduced to 20 per cent. If the developer joins Google’s “Games Level-Up” project, Google’s share of in-house purchases for the “new installation” application will be further reduced to 15 per cent. If the developers use the original Google Play to settle, Google will charge an additional 5 per cent in the EU, the United Kingdom and the United States — close to the share of most third-party payers. Google indicated that “specific market rates” would be applied outside the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union, but no specific rates were confirmed. Google does not charge any fees to developers using alternative payment providers.
The new pricing structure will be implemented in the EU, the United Kingdom and the United States by 30 June, Australia by 30 September, Korea and Japan by 31 December and the rest of the world by 30 September 2027. Google has also introduced a simpler player-sided alternative to the application store through its new “Registration Applications Shop” programme. It will be launched first on the international market and then into the United States. Google says it provides a simpler and more friendly installation process. Both Google and Epic indicated that, as of that date, all legal disputes between the two companies had ended. Epic welcomed these improvements in an official blog and confirmed that Fort Night will return to Google Play Global.
According to Epic: “These changes will transform Andre into a truly open and competitive platform between shops, as we have seen on Windows — Steam, Epic, GoG platforms, etc. provide consumers and developers with real options and lower prices. Epic will invest heavily in serving developers and players through Epic in Andreaux and will bring Fortress Night back to Google Play on a global scale.”