According to Android Authority, Google and Epic Games have reached a settlement in their long-running lawsuit that began back in 2020 when Google removed Fortnite from the Play Store. The agreement requires Google to implement sweeping changes to Android and the Play Store by next year, including allowing third-party app stores to be installed with a single click and giving developers the freedom to show alternative payment options alongside Google Play Billing. Google can no longer pay device manufacturers to bundle the Play Store exclusively or block developers from communicating about alternative payment methods. However, these pro-competition changes arrive just as Google prepares to kill off Google Assistant in favor of Gemini AI, and while new Android developer verification requirements could effectively kill sideloading for indie developers.
Epic wins big
Here’s the thing: Epic basically won this fight. Google settled because they knew if they let the courts decide, they’d face even worse restrictions. The changes Google agreed to—allowing competing app stores, alternative payments, ending exclusivity deals—are things Google absolutely didn’t want to do. But they’re better than what a judge might have forced on them.
And here’s what’s really interesting: Apple faced similar scrutiny but got away with much less damage. Why? Because everyone sees Android as this open playground while iOS is Apple’s walled garden. When Google tries to control things in their “open” ecosystem, it looks anti-competitive. Apple’s just being Apple.
The corporate oligopoly
So what does this actually mean for the average user? Well, big companies like Epic will thrive. They can build their own app stores, bypass Google’s fees, and control their own destiny. But smaller indie developers? They might get squeezed out by new verification requirements that make sideloading much harder.
Basically, we’re heading toward a corporate oligopoly where the big players win and the little guys struggle. Epic gets their own marketplace while F-Droid and similar community-driven stores face new barriers. Google’s giving with one hand (opening to big competitors) while taking with the other (restricting indie sideloading).
Assistant meets its demise
Meanwhile, Google Assistant’s days are officially numbered. The writing’s been on the wall since Bard (remember Bard?) showed up, but now we’re seeing the first concrete signs that Gemini is taking over. It’s not exactly surprising—Google has a history of killing products—but it does make you wonder about the future of AI assistants on Android.
Will Gemini actually be better than Assistant? Or are we just trading one half-baked AI for another? Given Google’s track record with AI products, I’m skeptical.
What this means for Android
The big picture here is that Android is becoming more corporate-friendly while potentially less user-friendly for power users. Third-party app stores from big companies will be easier to install, but sideloading that random APK from GitHub? That might get much harder.
And honestly, that’s the real tragedy here. Android’s openness has always been its biggest advantage over iOS. If Google keeps closing things down to be “more like Apple,” what’s the point of choosing Android? We’re losing what made the platform special in the first place.
