Google Ends Legal Fight With Epic Games, to Open Play Store to Rival App Stores in US

Google will begin allowing users in the US to download third-party app stores directly through the Google Play Store from next week, following a court order in its long-running antitrust dispute with Epic Games.

The company disclosed the move in a filing before a California federal court on Tuesday, according to a Bloomberg report. Google also said it was withdrawing its request to modify the court's final judgment, effectively bringing the years-long legal battle closer to a conclusion.

The change is aimed at making it easier for Android users to access alternative app marketplaces without leaving the Play Store.

Google Drops Bid to Modify Court Order

Google had earlier asked the court to allow an alternative approach under which rival app stores could be installed through a registration process outside the Play Store. The company argued that such a system could be rolled out globally while also meeting regulatory requirements in Europe and other markets.

However, the proposal drew criticism during the court review process.

According to the report, Nancy Rose, an economics professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology appointed by the court to evaluate Google's proposal, said requiring users to leave the Play Store to install competing app stores would make it harder for new entrants to attract users.

She noted that most Android users are accustomed to downloading apps through the Play Store, making in-store access significantly more effective than directing users to external websites.

Court Order Seeks Greater Competition

US District Judge James Donato had ordered Google to allow competing app marketplaces to be distributed through the Play Store as part of remedies in the Epic Games antitrust case. The measure is intended to reduce barriers for rival app stores and promote greater competition in Android's app ecosystem.

In a statement cited in the court filing, Google said it decided to withdraw its proposal to avoid "prolonging this process which creates uncertainty for the ecosystem." The company added that it would continue to comply with the remaining requirements set out in the court's order.

The Epic Games lawsuit has become one of the most closely watched antitrust cases in the technology industry, with the outcome expected to reshape how Android users access apps and how developers distribute software on Google's platform.