Aptoide Games has become the first third-party app marketplace to benefit from the outcome of the Epic Games vs Google antitrust lawsuit, after an order by a US federal court that Google should make alternative app marketplaces available through the Play Store.
Epic Games, an American video game and software developer, filed a case at the court challenging Google’s practices, which they argued were anti-competitive. After years of legal battles, Aptoide Games became the first thirdparty app on the Google Play.
Following the lawsuit, Android users could not access other app marketplaces through the Play Store.
Users in the US can now search for Aptoide Games on the Google Play Store like any other app and download it without manually sideloading the application or changing their security settings.
However, Google’s onboarding requirements remain in place, meaning store operators must meet its malware-safety thresholds and register as official organisations.
Like the Epic Games Store which did not did not benefit from the ruling on its case, Aptoide Games is a specialised third-party marketplace for Android devices.
However, it focuses mainly on games rather than offering a broader range of apps like the Google Play Store.
Aptoide Games parent company, Aptoide, has operated for 15 years as an alternative to Google Play while Aptoide Games is specifically focused on gaming. The platform offers a curated gaming ecosystem, in-app purchase rewards and its own independent infrastructure.
What this means for users and developers For now, Google’s new rules allowing third-party app stores on Google Play apply only in the U.S., so users in other countries may not see Aptoide Games listed on the Play Store.
For US Android users, however, the change removes some of the friction associated with installing Aptoide Games or other alternative app stores through sideloading.
The change also gives developers another distribution option. Developers can make their apps available through alternative marketplaces alongside Google Play, although they can choose to opt out.
Meanwhile Aptoide Games’ feat on Google Play is seen as one of the clearest early signs of the impact of Epic Games’ antitrust case against Google.
