Epic Games, Google strike $800 million deal amid antitrust battle
A federal court just revealed that Google and Epic Games have been quietly working together in a years-long, $800 million partnership.
This surprise deal is tied to their ongoing antitrust settlement, and covers joint projects, marketing, and teaming up on big-name platforms like Fortnite and Android.
The news adds a twist to the legal fight over whether Google's Play Store is playing fair with developers.
Details of the secret partnership
Epic is set to pay Google $800 million for co-developing products and marketing efforts. They'll also collaborate on Fortnite, Android, and Unreal Engine.
Judge James Donato pointed out that Epic will help promote Android while Google gets access to some of Epic's core tech—a pretty major swap between two industry giants.
The ongoing legal battle and potential impact on app distribution
This secret partnership only came out after Epic and Google jointly proposed a settlement last November (date not specified in source), following years of lawsuits over how much Google charges developers.
If approved, changes could mean lower Play Store commissions (down to 9-20%) and more freedom for third-party app stores worldwide.
With hearing dates not specified in the source, the outcome could shake up how games and apps get to your phone.