Epic and Google Move to End 30% Fee as Android Opens to Competition
Google has accelerated a sweeping overhaul of Android’s app economics and store rules, a shift tied to its long-running dispute with epic that will roll out globally through 2027. The company will lower most app store fees to 20 percent or less by June 30 ET in the US, UK and the European Economic Area, introduce a Registered App Stores program outside the United States by the end of the year, and allow new billing choices designed to benefit developers and consumers. These moves aim to open competition on Android while keeping specific fee tiers and registration rules in place.
What Google is changing now
The most urgent change is a new fee structure and expanded billing options that take effect on a staged timetable. By June 30 ET Google will reduce many app store fees to 20 percent or lower in the US, UK and EEA, and will separate Play Billing fees from service fees. Google also outlined a fee framework that applies a 5 percent Play Billing fee in the US, UK and EEA while service fees will range from 10–20 percent depending on the purchase. Additional pricing details include a retained share when content is bought inside a purchased app and a plan to charge fixed or percentage fees when purchases are routed off-platform; program enrollment offers further discounts tied to Games Level Up and the new App Experience program.
Epic response and industry reaction
Google’s change follows a long-running dispute with Epic and marks the end of a chapter that pushed both companies toward settlement proposals. Android leadership framed the moves as increased choice: “Google Play is giving developers even more billing choice and freedom in how they handle transactions, ” said a Google Play statement. Sameer Samat, Android Ecosystem President at Google, emphasized that for purchases that occur inside Google Play a 20 percent fee will apply and Play Billing will be required. The announcement names registered third-party stores as a formal path to distribution, while non-registered stores remain installable under existing sideloading rules.
Installation flow, timeline and legal caveats
Google plans a Registered App Stores program with a new installation flow that will show whether a third-party store is registered with Android and will display that store’s capabilities, terms of service, privacy policies and customer support details. That program will begin outside the United States and Google intends to bring it to the US subject to court approval. The company set a phased rollout: By June 30 ET for the US, UK and EEA; by September 30 ET for Australia; by December 31 ET for Korea and Japan; and for the rest of the world by September 30, 2027 ET. Registered App Stores are tied to a major Android release expected by the end of the year.
What’s next
Developers and store operators will watch program enrollment windows and the Games Level Up and App Experience launches, both slated to begin by September 30 ET in key markets before wider rollout. Legal clearance will determine whether the Registered App Stores program reaches the United States on the schedule Google outlined. Observers should track developer adoption of alternate billing and registration choices and the scheduled fee reductions as Google completes the global rollout through 2027 ET.
