Fortnite Returns to Google Play March 19, Alongside Chapter 7 Season 2 Launch

Starting tomorrow, March 19, Android players worldwide can download Fortnite directly from the Google Play Store for the first time since August 2020, no sideloading required. The relisting lands on the same day Chapter 7 Season 2, subtitled "Showdown," goes live, and Epic is bringing the full game to Play Store, not a stripped version. Every mode is included: battle royale, Lego Fortnite, Festival, all of it.

The backstory here is worth knowing. Epic pulled Fortnite off Google Play nearly six years ago by introducing its own in-app payment system that deliberately cut Google out of its standard 30% commission on purchases. Google removed the game immediately, Epic sued, and the legal fight dragged on for years. A settlement was eventually reached, with Google reducing its in-app payment commission from 30% down to a range of 10% to 20%, a significant structural concession. Epic CEO Tim Sweeney confirmed the Play Store return once that deal was in place. Engadget also reported that Sweeney reportedly agreed not to publicly criticize the Play Store until 2032 as part of the settlement terms, though that specific clause has not been independently confirmed from primary documents.

Fortnite had already made a partial comeback before this. It reappeared on the US Play Store in December, and returned to Apple's App Store in the EU in 2024 and in the US last year. Tomorrow's move is the full global reinstatement on Android.

The timing matters beyond the legal resolution. Relaunching on the same day as a new season gives Epic a clean re-entry point, and getting off sideloading and onto the default Android storefront puts the game in front of every Android phone and tablet owner rather than just the dedicated players who were willing to jump through hoops.

There is a catch for your wallet, though. V-Bucks pricing is also increasing on March 19, and players will receive fewer V-Bucks across multiple purchase tiers. Epic is softening that with a 20% cashback incentive through its Epic Rewards program, but only for purchases made using Epic's own payment methods. Prices on certain in-game passes are being lowered as well, though Epic has not specified which passes or by how much.

Separately, Epic confirmed that Save the World, the game's original mode that most players forgot exists, is going free-to-play in April. And Pocketgamer Biz reported that Epic is looking to open its Epic Games Store to mobile developer self-publishing on both iOS and Android starting in August, a move that would position it more directly as a third-party storefront competitor.

The V-Bucks price hike on launch day is the detail most players should pay attention to before they spend anything tomorrow.