Fortnite will return to the Google Play Store worldwide on March 19, which lines up with the launch of the game’s next season, and this move brings the popular battle royale back to Android users after years of legal tension between Epic Games and Google that kept it off the platform.
Epic Games and Google have resolved their long-running dispute, allowing Fortnite to return officially, and this follows the game’s earlier comeback to the Play Store in the United States in December, which already hinted at a broader rollout.
Google removed Fortnite in 2020 after Epic tried to bypass the Play Store’s 30 percent cut on in-app purchases, and Apple took similar action on the App Store, which led Epic to file lawsuits against both companies and triggered a legal battle that stretched over several years.
Epic and Google reached a settlement in November, and soon after, Google confirmed it would reduce its in-app purchase fee to between 10 and 20 percent, which marked a major shift in policy and helped clear the path for Fortnite’s return, while Epic CEO Tim Sweeney also confirmed the comeback and agreed to avoid public criticism of the Play Store as part of the deal.
Fortnite’s return comes alongside other updates, as Epic recently increased the price of V-Bucks and announced that “Save the World,” the game’s original mode, will go free-to-play in April, which adds more value for returning and new players on Android devices.