Google Opens Play to Third-Party App Stores on July 22 After $800 Million Epic Deal Unravels
Updated
Updated · The Verge · Jul 16
Google Opens Play to Third-Party App Stores on July 22 After $800 Million Epic Deal Unravels
3 articles · Updated · The Verge · Jul 16
Summary
July 22 is when Google says it will start allowing third-party Android app stores in the US Play Store after Google and Epic withdrew their bid to rewrite the court-ordered remedy.
Judge James Donato had signaled skepticism toward Google's alternative, which would have relied on sideloaded "Registered App Stores" instead of letting rival stores be downloaded directly through Google Play.
$5,000 a year is what third-party stores must pay for Play catalog access, while meeting US-only distribution rules, open-access requirements and a malware rate below 1%.
Google is already telling US developers their app and game listings will be shared with rival stores by default on July 22 unless they opt out, creating a US track that differs from its planned global model.
With Google's app store monopoly now broken, will you actually pay less for your favorite games?
Now that rival stores can exist inside Google Play, is Google's absolute control over Android truly over?
Google Play Store Overhaul 2026: How Epic v. Google and Antitrust Rulings Will Reshape Android App Distribution, Fees, and Competition
Overview
The upcoming transformation of the Google Play Store, set for July 2026, is the direct result of Epic Games’ landmark legal battle against Google. Epic challenged Google’s restrictive app distribution and payment policies, arguing they created an illegal monopoly that harmed developers and consumers. After a significant antitrust verdict and its affirmation by the US Court of Appeals, courts mandated structural changes to address Google’s anticompetitive practices. As a result, the Play Store will open up to third-party app stores, fundamentally changing how Android apps are distributed and giving both developers and users more choices and better opportunities.