Fortnite is finally back in Google Play store in the US

2 weeks ago 9

With lawsuits against Apple and Google over, Epic has brought Fortnite back to mobile

After five years, it looks like Epic Games and Google are finally working out their issues. Epic announced Thursday that Fortnite has returned to the Google Play Store in the United States.

"Fortnite is back on the Google Play Store in the U.S. following Google’s compliance with the U.S. District Court’s injunction," Epic said in a statement on X. "We’re continuing to work with Google to seek court approval of our settlement. Stay tuned for news of Fortnite's return to Google Play to the rest of the world."

This story began back in 2020, when Epic sued both Apple and Google, alleging antitrust violations related to their mobile storefronts. At that time, the game was removed from both Apple and Google's storefronts.

Granted, there were still ways to play Fortnite on mobile, regardless of whether it was offered on the official storefronts. Even if you were on Apple's notoriously closed ecosystem, Xbox Cloud Gaming was a dream come true once it added Fortnite to its roster of titles.

Apple's case was decided back in 2021, with the court ruling against Apple on one of the 10 counts brought to trial. Apple was found to have violated California Unfair Competition Law by not allowing developers to link users to non-Apple storefronts from within their apps. Appeal attempts fell short when theU.S. Supreme Court decided in early 2024 not to hear Apple's appeal.

Google's suit has only just wrapped up quite recently. Though the tech giant lost a jury trial against Epic in 2023, the appeals process dragged on, with an injunction against the company being repeatedly delayed. That is, until just last month, when a settlement was announced. The terms of the settlement have not been disclosed.

With the lawsuits now behind them, Fortnite returned to the Apple App Store in the United States earlier this year. Now, with it back on the Google Play Store, it seems the game really can be played just about anywhere.

One person thrilled about that is Tim Sweeney, Epic Games' CEO. "Fortnite is back on Android through Google Play in the USA, and will continue to be available through Epic Games Store on Android worldwide," he wrote on X. "Thanks to Google for all of their awesome support; this is the beginning of a new, open world of mobile gaming!"

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