Epic Games has won its Google lawsuit again as the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has decided to uphold the original Epic v. Google lawsuit that found that Google’s Play Store and payment systems are monopolies.
The lawsuit was filed by Epic Games in 2020, and then in 2023, a jury unanimously agreed that Google has abused its power by operating an app store monopoly. Google then again appealed in the court against this decision, but has faced a loss with the recent verdict.
As a result of this decision, Google will be forced to allow Android users to download rival app stores from the Play Store and will also be required to make the Play app catalog available to competitors. After this decision, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney shared that the Epic Games Store for Android will be coming to the Google Play Store.
Thanks to the verdict, the Epic Games Store for Android will be coming to the Google Play Store! It's already available worldwide from our web site, https://t.co/f77ZSrBMGd.
Epic Games Store for PC already carries several other PC stores (https://t.co/92elnB3IGv, GOG Galaxy). https://t.co/4ndkMmhLUX
— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) July 31, 2025
It is said that the company could make accessing Fortnite and other Epic-distributed games simpler on Android devices, without relying on sideloading or making deals with phone manufacturers to preload the store.
Responding to the latest court verdict, Google has said in a statement, “This decision will significantly harm user safety, limit choice, and undermine the innovation that has always been central to the Android ecosystem. Our top priority remains protecting our users, developers, and partners, and maintaining a secure platform as we continue our appeal.”
