The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to halt key parts of a court order requiring Google to make major changes to its Play Store following its legal battle with “Fortnite” maker Epic Games.
The justices turned down Google’s request to freeze parts of a lower court injunction that would allow users to download rival app stores within Google Play and enable developers to include external payment links. These changes are set to roll out later this month and in July 2026.
Google said it was disappointed with the decision and plans to appeal fully by October 27. Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney said developers would soon be “legally entitled” to steer users to alternative payment options without fees.
The injunction stems from a 2020 lawsuit in which Epic accused Google of antitrust violations. Epic won a jury trial in 2023. Google has argued that the court’s order poses security and reputational risks and could affect more than 100 million Android users in the U.S.
