Posted in: Epic Games, Fortnite, Games, Mobile Games | Tagged: Fortnite, google play

Fortnite Has Returned To The Google Play Store in North America

Five years of unnecessary conflict has come to an end by court order, as Fortnite has been put back on Google Play in North America

Published Thu, 11 Dec 2025 17:13:04 -0600

by Gavin Sheehan

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Article Summary

Fortnite has returned to the Google Play Store in North America after a five-year legal standoff with Google.
Epic Games' lawsuit against Apple and Google led to a court order forcing Fortnite's reinstatement on Android.
The legal battle stemmed from Epic's attempt to bypass platform payment systems with its own Epic Games Store.
While Fortnite is back, tensions linger, hinting that future disputes between Epic and platform owners are likely.

In what feels like the longest unnecessary pissing contest between publishing platforms, Fortnite has finally made its way back onto Google Play in North America. Five years' worth of Epic Games and Google being at odds with each other seems to have finally simmered down, as the battle royale title was reinstated to the mobile platform's shop, even though it was very clear by Epic's statement on social media that it wasn't by choice:

Fortnite is back on the Google Play Store in the U.S. following Google's compliance with the U.S. District Court's injunction. 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.

Fortnite Has Returned To The Google Play Store in North America — Credit: Epic Games

If you're not entirely familiar with the situation, here's a brief recap:

Epic Games decided to launch the Epic Games Store, which didn't sit well with Apple and Google, who subsequently removed Fortnite from their respective mobile platforms. Epic sued both companies, which, over the course of a couple of years, resulted in Apple being found to have violated California Unfair Competition Law, as a judge ruled that they failed to allow developers to link users to non-Apple storefronts from within their apps. The Google lawsuit took longer than expected, mainly because of delays and appeals, but the case wrapped up this past month, and the two sides are hammering out a settlement agreement. Part of which clearly included putting Fortnite back on the shop. Youc an read a far-more detailed account on Reuters.

So is all this over? If history has taught us anything, the answer is no. We're sure that, somehow, in the next year, one or both of the platforms will come up with a new excuse to pick a fight with each other. But for now, if you REALLY want to, you can play Fortnite on an Android.

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