Epic Games will reintroduce Fortnite to the Google Play Store globally on March 19, coinciding with the launch of the game’s next season. This development follows a recent settlement between Epic and Google, resolving their ongoing legal disputes.
Fortnite’s return marks a significant moment for the franchise, which has faced challenges since its removal from the Play Store in 2020. Google initially pulled the game after Epic attempted to bypass its 30 percent cut on in-app purchases. A similar conflict with Apple resulted in the game being removed from the App Store, leading Epic to initiate legal action against both tech giants.
The legal battles prompted changes in how the App Store operates in certain regions, including the US and the EU. Fortnite was re-added to the App Store in the EU in 2024 and in the US the previous year. The settlement reached in November marked a turning point for Epic and Google, with Google announcing a reduction in its in-app payment cut from 30 percent to a range between 10 and 20 percent.
Epic CEO Tim Sweeney agreed to refrain from publicly criticizing the Google Play Store until 2032 as part of the settlement terms. Additionally, Epic recently announced a price increase for its in-game currency, V-Bucks, while confirming that the Save the World mode will transition to a free-to-play model in April.
