Epic Games has entered a six-year, $800 million collaboration with Google that emerged during an antitrust case in San Francisco. This partnership, focusing on Fortnite, Android, and the Unreal Engine, was disclosed by Judge James Donato as he evaluated potential impacts on Epic's settlement position.
Partnership Details
The agreement requires Epic to pay Google $800 million and includes joint development, marketing, and technical integration efforts. Epic will assist in Android marketing, while Google will utilize Epic's technology, particularly the Unreal Engine, more closely.
According to Judge Donato, the arrangement questions Epic's role as a challenger to Google's Android marketplace policies. This partnership was unveiled as part of Epic's lawsuit against Google regarding app distribution and in-app payment rules.
Legal Implications
Epic CEO Tim Sweeney described the collaboration's focus on the metaverse, highlighting Google's interest in the Unreal Engine. The court is also assessing Google's Android monetization changes, such as fees for alternative in-app billing. A final decision is pending, leaving developers awaiting clarity.
The partnership complicates the antitrust case, potentially influencing Google's settlement offer acceptance and affecting third-party store dynamics and Epic's expansion of Fortnite as a digital platform.
