Fortnite's stint on the App Store and Google Play Store isn't without obstacles. Since the game's initial delisting in 2020, Epic Games has continued to navigate legal battles to restore its multi-million multiplayer hit on mobile storefronts. With the game gradually finding its home again on iOS and Android devices, Epic Games confirms that the Fortnite Google Play Store app is finally making its overdue return.
It's a journey that's been six years in the making, following Fortnite's initial removal from the Google Play Store. The fallout began when Epic Games introduced direct player payments into the free mobile game. As a result, it circumvented Google's 30% profit margin. In the years that followed, Epic Games' efforts to bring Fortnite back to mobile continued, with the arrival of the Epic Games Store app enabling sideloading of the game.
Alternatively, players with an Xbox Game Pass subscription can drop in through Xbox Cloud Streaming. Through extended legal litigation, Epic Games and Google's settlement has resulted in a fall in Google's commission. Going forward, Google now takes a 20% cut of in-app purchases. However, an additional 5% is coming later this year, for developers using Google's proprietary payment systems.
Whether Epic Games is completely happy with this outcome is another question. As Mobile Gamer highlights in its recent report, court documents clarify that Epic Games must stop advocating for further changes to the Google Play Store. It also adds that the battle royale game studio must refrain from talking negatively about Google in relation to the new deal. In the past, Tim Sweeney's social media campaigning initiated the start of the 'Free Fortnite' movement.
In August 2020, an in-game tournament dubbed the 'Free Fortnite Cup' gave players a chance to earn limited-time rewards and Fortnite skins. To promote it, Epic Games' marketing debuted a parody trailer that aped Apple's classic Macintosh commercial from 1994 - itself a spoof of the George Orwell novel of the same name.
Ten months ago, Fortnite's fight to claim its spot on the App Store began coming to an end. From March 19, 2026, you can head to the Google Play Store and download Fortnite onto your Android device. The game's landing page is already live, with promotion tied to the upcoming launch of Chapter 7 Season 2. You can also look forward to the free-to-play release of Fortnite Save The World.