Google and Epic Games's $800 million secret deal drops during court battle
Turns out, Google and Epic Games had a hush-hush $800 million agreement, just revealed by a judge in the middle of their antitrust showdown on January 23, 2026.
For the next six years, Epic will pour that money into Google's services to team up on projects involving Unreal Engine, Fortnite, Android, and more.
What's actually in this deal?
Google gets deeper access to Epic's Unreal Engine for AI and extended reality work.
Meanwhile, Epic helps hype up Android while Google gives Fortnite some love.
Epic's CEO Tim Sweeney said the agreement had something to do with the metaverse, with both sides working together but still building their own separate stuff.
So why does this matter?
This secret pact came out right as both companies are locked in a legal fight over whether Google unfairly dominates the Android app world.
The timing has everyone wondering if this deal could shake up how things play out in court—or what it means for gamers and app users going forward.