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After five years away, Fortnite is once again available for download on your Android phone or tablet directly from the Google Play Store. The game has returned in the US after the title's developers, Epic Games, reached a settlement in a long-running legal battle with Google.
The move comes as Epic released the season seven update to its battle royale title.
Fortnite was removed from Apple’s App Store and Google's Play Store in 2020 after Epic Games introduced a way for players to make in-app purchases without giving either company a 30% cut. Unsurprisingly, the move irked Apple and Google, both of which removed Fortnite from their app stores, kicking off an ongoing legal battle.
Since then, Android players have been able to sideload the game onto their devices, but that can be a complicated process. Those outside the US are still unable to download the game through the Play Store, although Epic says to "stay tuned for news."
In July, Google lost its appeal to overturn a 2023 verdict that found the company’s Google Play Store guilty of being an illegal monopoly. In early November, Epic and Google agreed to settle; on Thursday, Epic said it's "continuing to work with Google to seek court approval" for the deal.
Fortnite returned to Apple's App Store in May after Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled that Apple needed to immediately change its policies. Apple appealed and lost. However, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals panel reversed some of Rogers' rulings this week, Reuters reports.
The appeals court said Apple should be able to charge a fee on purchases made outside of its own App Store. It suggests introducing an "appropriate commission or free limitation" for Apple to claim on any cost incurred for coordinating external links for purchases.
Still, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney said the ruling is confirmation that the "Apple Tax is dead in the USA," adding, "This is the beginning of true, untaxed competition in payments worldwide on iOS."