Google is reducing Play Store billing fees to 5% across all transactions, including publishers earning under $1 million, as part of its Epic Games settlement. The change takes effect June 30 in initial markets, with Australia joining September 30 and Japan/Korea by December 31.

The company is also launching new developer programs offering fee breaks. Games Level Up and Apps Experience will debut in Europe, the UK, Australia, and the US on September 30, providing increased Play Store visibility in exchange for adopting Google Play features. These programs expand the original settlement requirements.

While developers gain more revenue potential, Google maintains control over Android's software ecosystem. The company still collects fees from every sale and must certify third-party app stores under the settlement's next phase. This rollout concludes globally by September 30, 2027, marking a significant shift in mobile app store economics.

The fee reduction represents Google's largest concession yet in the Epic Games lawsuit, though the tech giant stops short of opening Android to unrestricted competition.