Google faces injunction in North America open Android to alternative app stores

The decision was made in Epic Games' case against Google, opening the way for Epic Games Store on Android devices in North America.

Google has been handed a notable loss in court when it comes to policing apps that can be downloaded on its Android mobile device ecosystem and how in North America. In the court case between Epic Games and Google, a US judge has issued a permanent injunction against Google that will open the Android ecosystem to purchase and download means outside of Google Play, which clears the path for Epic Games Store’s mobile app on Android.

The injunction was filed by Judge James Donato in California, as reported by CNBC this week. Judge Donato’s injunction orders that Google allow alternatives to its Google Play store when it comes to downloading apps on Android mobile devices. This marks a major win for Epic Games, which now faces no obstructions in launching the Epic Games Store mobile app in North America, on which it then be able to offer Fortnite back to mobile players on Android devices.

It has been about four years since Fortnite was removed from Google Play, which coincided with Epic Games efforts to disrupt Apple and Google’s hold on the mobile app space. Epic Games still remains in legal battle with Apple on various similar matters to the Google case, but word on what happens in several of those issues still remains to be seen.

In the case of Google, it’s another big win for Epic as it aims to free up the avenues to running Epic Games Store and its apps on mobile devices. With big ambitions for Epic Games Store mobile ahead of 2025, stay tuned for more updates on this topic as news breaks.