Google Play Store Reinstates Fortnite

Fortnite is now back on the Google Play Store following a multi-year absence. However, at the moment, it is currently available for users in the United States. This comes after a protracted legal dispute and a recent settlement between Google and Epic Games on app store policies and in-app purchase costs.

The continuing legal disputes between Epic and Google began in 2020, in case you didn’t know. New policy adjustments allow other app stores to start on the Play Store with external monetisation controls after they were excluded from Apple’s and Google’s shopfronts because of in-game purchases and commission for them.

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney announced the change that Fortnite has returned to the Google Play Store as the year comes to an end which is almost six months, this is after the response to the historic court ruling. With yesterday marking the start of the Season 7 of the well-known battle royale game, which probably explains why the app is making a quiet comeback to the Play Store.

Until recently, installing by obtaining it from a third-party source on non-Samsung Galaxy phones or using the Galaxy Store were the only options to obtain Fortnite on Android. Due to an ongoing controversy over Samsung’s outside-installation policy from third-party, the title was removed off the Korean tech giant’s shopfront more than a year ago.

The good news is that the Epic Games Launcher is no longer necessary, at least in theory, if you go back to the Play Store. In addition to offering software updates and more details on Epic titles for desktop and mobile devices, this program was necessary to obtain the APK files required to install the game outrightly. Epic has not yet confirmed whether players will still be able to use the launcher for next upgrades or if all program updates will be managed through the Play Store yet. If the business confirms its plans, we’ll update this information, as the company has said.

It’s noteworthy to note that this Play Store comeback is coinciding with Fortnite’s five-year sabbatical from the iOS App Store as well, which ended six months ago. Nevertheless, there has been a solution for Android players up until this point.

Although, the global access is still yet unknown whether the game will be available in other nations, Epic has announced that they are collaborating with Google to request court approval for a global release. Also the game is still accessible to Android users outside of the US via direct download via the Epic Games Store website or mobile app.

This is a reminder that, in August 2020, the game was taken down due to an antitrust lawsuit brought about by Epic Games’ introduction of a direct payment system that circumvented Google’s billing.