Fortnite returns to Google Play after almost six years. Simultaneously launches new season

One of the most popular games of all time can be downloaded directly from the Google Play Store starting today. Fortnite returns after almost six years to the official Android app store, worldwide. The return comes at an ideal moment – a new season is starting today.

Return with minor complications

Fortnite returned to Google Play today, but on my Xiaomi 17 Ultra phone, I haven’t been able to find the game using classic in-app search yet. However, if you use the direct link, the app opens normally in Google Play and you can install it without problems. Full indexing in search will probably take some time.

The return includes the complete game offering, including Battle Royale, Lego Fortnite, Fortnite OG, and community-created multiplayer worlds. Also directly integrated is the new season Chapter 7 Season 2 called Showdown, which brings a collaboration with Marvel – for example, you’ll find Captain America’s shield in the game.

Why Fortnite disappeared from the store

Fortnite originally launched in 2017 and quickly became one of the most played games in the world. In April 2020, after a year and a half of being only sideloadable on Android devices, it also arrived on Google Play. However, due to the implementation of its own payment system, which publisher Epic Games used to circumvent the mandatory 30% in-app purchase fee, the game was removed from the platform in August of the same year. Rival Apple reacted similarly.

This was followed by long-standing legal disputes between Epic and both platforms. Meanwhile, Android players could only install Fortnite using workarounds – either via the Epic Games Store for mobile devices, or through cloud services like Xbox Cloud Gaming or Amazon Luna.

Agreement worth hundreds of millions of dollars

In November last year, Epic and Google reached an agreement. In March this year, they jointly introduced changes for Google Play, which apply worldwide. Google now allows alternative payment methods and privileged third-party app stores.

Part of the agreement is Epic’s commitment to invest approximately 800 million dollars in Google’s services over the next six years. In return, Google helps promote Fortnite and other Epic products on Android. In the USA, Fortnite returned to the Play Store already in December, Apple re-listed it in its store in May 2025.

Price increase of in-game currency

With the return to Google Play also comes a change in the prices of the virtual currency V-Bucks. Starting today, players will only receive 800 V-Bucks instead of the previous 1,000 for the same amount. The virtual currency is used to purchase cosmetic items or the Battle Pass. Epic justifies the price increase by a significant rise in operating costs.

Do you welcome Fortnite’s return to Google Play?

Sources: Epic Games, heise, Android Authority, own