As revealed in the ongoing legal dispute, Google and Epic Games appear to have struck a new deal involving Android, Unreal Engine , and some kind of 'product development', and it will remain secret for now.
See also: Epic Games accuses Apple of 'competitively crushing' charges
The Verge reports that, amid the long-running antitrust battle, California District Judge James Donatois investigating whether Epic Games and Google are settling the case through a previously unannounced partnership. The court revealed that the agreement between the two companies includes 'joint product development, joint marketing commitments, [and] joint partnerships' around the Unreal Engine, Fortnite, and Android.
Judge Donato further stated that Epic would 'help Google promote Android', while Google would 'use Epic's core technology', raising concerns that this may have led Epic to soften its demands, leading to a settlement first announced in November that ultimately ends the long-running legal battle between the two companies, if Judge Donato approves it.
The revelation of the partnership between the two companies was made during today's hearing on the deal, with Epic confirming that the agreement is a 'new business partnership between Epic and Google'.
See also: Tim Sweeney on the future of Fortnite after another victory against Apple
Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic, reportedly referred to the deal as something to do with the 'metaverse', saying:
“Epic's technology is used by many companies in the space where Google operates to train their products, so Google's ability to use Unreal Engine more fully... sorry, I'm violating that confidentiality.“
The agreement, as revealed by the judge, amounts to $800 million over the next six years, with Epic being the one to pay Google.
Exactly what the two companies are working on is a secret that the judge is allowing them to keep, but Sweeney further stated that 'This is Google and Epic developing separate product lines', with plans to 'work together'.
See also: Google: New deadline for Epic's consequences is October 29th
Undoubtedly, this is not the agreement one would expect after the intense legal battle of recent years, and at this point we have more questions than answers.
