Google and Epic Games strike secretive $800 million deal

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As revealed in the ongoing court saga, Google and Epic Games have apparently struck a new deal that involves Android, Unreal Engine, and some sort of “product development,” and it’s going to remain a secret for the time being.

The Verge reports that, during the long-running antitrust court battle, California District Judge James Donato is questioning whether or not Epic Games and Google are settling the case over a previously-unannounced partnership. The court revealed that the deal between the two companies involves “joint product development, joint marketing commitment, [and] joint partnerships,” around Unreal Engine, Fortnite, and Android.

Judge Donato further indicated that Epic would be “helping Google market Android” where Google would be “using Epic’s core technology,” and expressed concerns that this may have led to Epic softening its demands, leading to a settlement that was first announced in November and, finally, puts an end to the long-running legal battle between the two companies, assuming Judge Donato finalizes it.

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The reveal of the partnership between the two companies came out during today’s hearing about the settlement, with Epic confirming that the deal is “new business between Epic and Google.”

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Tim Sweeney, Epic CEO, apparently referred to the agreement as having something to do with the “metaverse,” saying:

Epic’s technology is used by many companies in the space Google is operating in to train their products, so the ability for Google to use the Unreal Engine more fullsome… sorry, I’m blowing this confidentiality

The deal, as the judge went on to reveal, is worth $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 the judge is allowing them to keep, but Sweeney further said that “This is Google and Epic each separately building product lines,” with plans to “work together.”

Needless to say, this is certainly not the kind of deal anyone would have predicted after the intense legal fight of the past few years, and at this point we have far more questions than answers. What do you think it might be?