Epic Games Victory Forces Google To Make First Major Change To Play Store

If you pay attention to gaming news at all, you've almost assuredly heard by now that Epic Games won its case against Google last year. Google still wants to take the case to the Supreme Court, but for now, it has to abide by the US District Court and Judge James Donato's judgment, where they decided that Google had engaged in unlawful anti-competitive behavior. Google has now implemented the first of its policy changes demanded by the court in compliance with the judgment.

Posting to the Play Console Help section of its Android Developer Help Center, under "Tax, compliance, & regional requirements," Google dropped "an update regarding Google Play's policies for developers serving users in the US." The ultimate outcome is basically this: Google cannot restrict developers from advising users about alternative stores and the pricing on those stores, and it also can't require developers to use Google Play Billing for apps on the Google Play store. You can read the full statements from Google below:

To ensure compliance with the injunction as of October 29, 2025, we have made the following changes for apps when serving users in the United States:

• Google will not prohibit a developer from communicating with users about the availability or pricing of an app outside the Google Play Store, and will not prohibit a developer from providing a link to download the app outside the Google Play Store or link to transactions.
• Google will not require the use of Google Play Billing in apps distributed on the Google Play Store, or prohibit the use of in-app payment methods other than Google Play Billing. Google will not prohibit a developer from communicating with users about the availability of a payment method other than Google Play Billing. Google will not require a developer to set a price based on whether Google Play Billing is used.

It's clear that Google is desperate to keep the Play Store's walled garden intact, arguing that its strict control protects users from chaos and security risks. The company recently asked the U.S. Supreme Court to freeze the District court's order that forced it to open Android's app ecosystem, but the justices let the order stand. Google has now petitioned the Court to take the case in full, hoping to overturn the ruling and roll back the temporary freedom developers have gained. If the appeal succeeds, it could undo months of progress toward a more open Android marketplace.

Google's policy update is very clear that these changes are only being made "to ensure compliance" and that these new policies only apply in the United States, and further, only "while the US District Court's order remains in effect," signaling its intent to challenge the ruling as far as it is allowed to do so, but it's unclear whether the Court will even hear the case at all, much less before Google must meet the next phase of Judge Donato's order—mirroring Play Store content to third-party stores and allowing those stores to be distributed through Google Play itself.

The Android creator currently has until July 2026 to comply, though it could seek delays if the appeal moves forward. Even if Google ultimately loses, it's already laying groundwork to retain leverage: the new developer verification system promises to require all Android developers, even those distributing outside the Play Store, to register with Google and pay a fee. That specious system, framed as a security measure, could quietly reassert Google's control just as its legal monopoly begins to crack.