Google’s Deadline in Epic Games Dispute Extended to October 29

Following a protracted legal battle, Google LLC has secured a one‐week extension—moving its compliance deadline to October 29, 2025—in a landmark injunction requiring major changes to its Android app marketplace. 

The extension comes after both Google and Epic Games jointly requested the delay, though the underlying reasons remain undisclosed. 

The original October 22 deadline followed a December 2023 jury verdict that found Google’s app-distribution and billing model in violation of antitrust laws. 

Under Judge James Donato’s injunction, Google must allow Android developers to direct users toward external payment systems, permit alternative app stores within the Play ecosystem, and abandon exclusive deals with device makers—all while pursuing an appeal. 

The extension offers Google a bit of breathing room as it readies the complex engineering and operational changes demanded by the ruling. The timing is critical: with a possible Supreme Court appeal looming, October 29 may well become a slip-stream or the point of no return if compliance begins. From a market standpoint, the ruling threatens to shift billions in app-store revenue and could usher in more competition among Android payment and distribution channels—particularly benefiting developers and alternative marketplaces.

However, Google warns of significant security and user-experience risks tied to loosening its current control model. The mere fact that both parties sought the extension signals internal recognition that the transition is architecturally burdensome and strategically delicate. For Android users, developers and rival app-stores, the extended deadline may be a momentary pause—but the tectonic shift in mobile platform dynamics appears imminent.