Epic-Google legal end paves way for third-party Android app stores in Play next week

Epic Games and Google have withdrawn their settlement bid, clearing the path for rival Android app stores to appear inside Google Play starting July 22. The US will see a store-within-a-store model, while a global “Registered App Stores” option could roll out elsewhere; Google will charge a $5,000 annual fee for Play catalog access and enforce safety and policy requirements, signaling a shift toward more competition and potentially lower app-store costs for developers.