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Google and Epic's secret $800M deal surfaces in antitrust trial
23 Jan 2026

Google and Epic Games have signed a secretive $800 million deal, The Verge reported.

The agreement was revealed during an ongoing antitrust court case between the two companies.

California District Judge James Donato questioned if the deal was a settlement over an undisclosed partnership. He also expressed concerns that this could have softened Epic's demands in the case.

Deal involves joint product development and marketing
Partnership details

The court documents revealed that the deal between Google and Epic Games includes "joint product development, joint marketing commitment, [and] joint partnerships" around Unreal Engine, Fortnite, and Android.

Judge Donato revealed during a hearing about the settlement that Epic would be "helping Google market Android" where Google would be "using Epic's core technology."

Epic Games CEO hints at metaverse connection
Metaverse link

Epic's CEO Tim Sweeney hinted that the deal is related to the metaverse. He said, "Epic's technology is used by many companies in the space; Google is operating in to train their products."

The judge also revealed that the deal is worth $800 million over six years, with Epic paying Google. However, details of their joint projects remain confidential for now.

Deal's impact on ongoing legal battle remains unclear
Legal implications

The secret deal was revealed as both companies are embroiled in a legal fight over Google's alleged monopoly in the Android app market.

The timing of this revelation has raised questions about its potential impact on the ongoing court case and its future implications for gamers and app users.