Following a long absence, Fortnite is finally heading to the Google Play Store for Android devices. Tim Sweeney, the founder and CEO of Epic Games, has confirmed that the popular battle royale title will return to the platform worldwide soon.
The announcement signals a significant shift in the long-running relationship between Epic Games and Google, which started all the way back in 2021 when Fortnite was removed from the Play Store after Epic bypassed Google’s in-app billing system.
So for Android players, the comeback means installing Fortnite will soon become far easier.
Fortnite complicated history with Google Play Store
Fortnite originally launched on Android outside the Google Play Store in 2018 through Epic’s own installer. Epic avoided the official store to object to Google’s 30% revenue cut on in-app purchases. So in 2020, Epic briefly released Fortnite on the Play Store but removed it again after introducing an alternative payment system inside the game. Since then, Android players have mostly installed the game through the Epic Games Store app or sideloaded the game rather than Google’s official marketplace.
Epic confirms the return
Back in December 2025, Fortnite made a reappearance on the Play Store following a court order, but this was exclusive to the US. Now, Tim Sweeney confirmed in a recent post on X that “Fortnite will return to Google Play Store worldwide soon.” He further emphasized that Epic’s own storefront will continue to play a major role by supporting Android globally. Installing Epic’s Android storefront will also become much easier later this year.
In other words, Android users will now have multiple ways to download Fortnite, namely through Google Play or Epic’s own ecosystem.
Why is the change happening now?
The return appears to be tied to broader changes in how Android’s app ecosystem works. Google recently announced a significant update to Play Store policies that aim to give developers more flexibility, including support for alternative billing systems and easier installation via third-party app stores.
These changes follow years of legal battles between Epic and Google over competition and app store practices. The tweet from Tim Sweeney also suggests that the platform is becoming more open, as Android is now moving towards “robust support for competing stores and competing payments.”
