Regulatory and market forces pushed in the same direction this week: the EU issued its first DMA fine against Google, directly targeting steering fees and restrictions, while MTG showed how far publishers are already moving revenue off the app stores. At the same time, a US trade probe and a Play Store distribution change complicate the picture around how — and how fast — out-of-app payment rights become durable.
EU hits Google with €890m ($1bn) DMA fine — its first — for anti-steering and self-preferencing
The European Commission fined Google €890m ($1.01bn) for antitrust practices, splitting the penalty into €460m (about $525m) for preferential treatment of its own services and €430m (about $464m) for anti-steering practices. The Commission found that the level of Google's steering-related fees and the length of the charging period went beyond DMA compliance. As remedies, Google must treat third-party services fairly and non-discriminatorily and allow developers to freely communicate, promote offers and conclude contracts with users outside the Play store. Google has 60 days to comply or risk periodic penalty payments of up to 5% of total worldwide turnover; AppleInsider notes this is the first time Google has been fined under the DMA and that Google has started testing changes to comply.
Why it matters: The Commission is not just fining Google — it is ordering the removal of steering restrictions and challenging the economics of steering fees themselves, the exact tolls that erode margins on DTC redirection. For publishers and MoRs, it strengthens the legal footing to route EU users to web checkout and advertise cheaper external offers inside apps.
Sources: Mobilegamer.biz — "Google hit with $1bn EU fine for Play Store and search shenanigans", AppleInsider — "EU slaps Google with a $1 billion antitrust fine", Primary reference cited in coverage: European Commission press release IP/26/1670
MTG's Q2: 38% of group revenue now flows through its own D2C stores (51% in midcore)
In its Q2 earnings, MTG posted a seventh sequential quarter of revenue growth, led by Raid: Shadow Legends, casual arm PlaySimple and rising D2C income. The headline metric: 38% of group revenue now comes via MTG's own direct-to-consumer stores rather than Apple and Google, up from 24% a year ago, and in midcore that figure reaches 51%. Q2 group revenue was $306m (SEK 2,965m), with adjusted EBITDA of $73m (SEK 707m) and a 24% margin. Raid: Shadow Legends revenue grew 9% year over year to $111m, and PlaySimple revenue rose 29% YoY, driven primarily by Crossword Go, Cryptogram and Tile Match.
Why it matters: This is a concrete, audited proof point that a large publisher can shift a third — and in midcore, more than half — of revenue off the app stores. It is a useful public benchmark for publishers weighing how far web-shop migration can realistically go.
Trump opens a Section 301 investigation into EU DMA fines, threatens tariffs
On July 24 Trump said on Truth Social that his administration plans to investigate fines the EU has levied against tech companies like Apple, Google and Meta, calling the EU's conduct "illegal and highly unethical" and vowing to reverse penalties and institute a "substantial tariff." AppleInsider frames it as a formal trade probe launched after the Commission's €890m Google fine on July 23, under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. Crucially, the US investigation cannot overturn European Commission decisions or erase fines imposed under EU law — Apple and Google must separately challenge them through the European legal system. The move followed a July 21 letter, seen by Reuters and signed by 25 Republicans including seven members of the House Trade Subcommittee, accusing the EU of "economic extraction and regulatory coercion against American firms."
Why it matters: The DMA is the engine forcing open EU out-of-app payments, and a US trade-war escalation is a political-risk signal. It won't reverse the Google fine directly, but sustained pressure could shape how aggressively the Commission enforces steering remedies and how quickly publishers gain durable EU external-payment rights.
Sources: MacRumors — "Trump Vows to Reverse EU Fines Against Apple and Other Tech Companies, Threatens Tariffs", AppleInsider — "Trump promises investigation into EU fines on US big tech", AppleInsider — "Lawmakers want Trump to investigate EU's 'anti-American' Digital Markets Act"
Google Play opens developer catalogs to third-party US app stores (effective July 22)
Announced July 15 and effective July 22, 2026, US apps and games listings — names, icons, descriptions, screenshots and videos — will be made available to third-party US Android app stores to comply with a US court order. Third-party US stores can offer these apps, but downloads still complete through Google Play on the same terms as any other Play download, and Google Play's service fee continues to apply. Developers retain control and can opt out via Catalog Settings in the Play Console. Mobilegamer's in-window coverage corroborates the broader shift toward the Play Store distributing third-party app stores natively.
Why it matters: This is primarily a distribution change, not a payments change — Google's service fee still applies, so it is not a fee-avoidance route by itself. But native third-party store distribution on the largest Android surface expands the shelf space where publishers could eventually pair alternative stores with out-of-app billing.
Sources: Google Play Console Help (primary) — "Play developers' app and game listings in the US will be made available to third-party US Android app stores starting July 22, 2026", Engadget — "Google will allow third-party app stores on Android next week" (background, July 15)
The takeaway
The week’s pattern is clear: regulators are challenging the economics of steering, while publishers such as MTG are showing that a third or more of revenue can move off-platform in practice. The counterweights — a U.S. trade probe and a distribution-only Play Store change where fees still apply — are reminders that legal rights and actual fee relief do not always arrive together. For publishers building out-of-app monetization, the practical priority is to secure durable EU external-payment paths now. At the same time, distribution openings and MoR relationships should be evaluated carefully. The goal is to own the player relationship and choose infrastructure that keeps publishers as close to that relationship as possible.
