Fortnite Returns to Google Play Store Globally on March 19

Image via Epic Games

Fortnite is officially coming back to the Google Play Store worldwide on March 19, 2026, marking the end of a years-long dispute between Epic Games and Google.

The timing is no coincidence. March 19 is also the same day the next Fortnite season (C7S2) goes live, so players are getting a double dose of good news.

The game had already made a quiet return to the Play Store in the United States back in December 2025, but this global rollout is the big one that fans outside the US have been waiting for.

Epic Games confirmed the news on their official social media, stating, "No matter where you are, we've got you covered. Fortnite is back on Google Play."

So how did we get here? It all started back in August 2020, when Epic deliberately bypassed Google's payment system inside Fortnite to avoid the platform's standard 30% cut on in-app purchases. Google responded swiftly by pulling Fortnite from the Play Store entirely. Epic had done the same thing on Apple's App Store around the same time, and both companies found themselves on the receiving end of lawsuits filed by Epic on the very same day.

The legal battle with Google turned out to be a significant win for Epic. In December 2023, a jury ruled in Epic's favor on all 11 counts, finding that Google had illegally monopolized the Android app distribution and in-app billing markets.

Judge James Donato followed it up in October 2024 with a permanent injunction ordering Google to open up Android to third-party app stores, allow alternative payment systems, and make its app catalog available to competitors.

Google appealed, but the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals largely upheld the verdict. The U.S. Supreme Court then declined to hear Google's further appeal, which effectively closed that door for the tech giant.

Epic and Google reached a settlement in November 2025. The comprehensive settlement proposal filed in early 2026 includes Google sharing its Play Store catalog with rival stores, introducing a "Registered App Stores" program, offering more billing options, and rolling out lower fees for developers globally.

As per the settlement terms, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney reportedly agreed not to publicly criticize the Play Store until 2032, though he did confirm that Fortnite would be returning to Google's platform.

On the fee front, Google has also announced that it is lowering its cut of in-app payments from the long-standing 30% down to 20%.

The contrast with the Apple case is worth noting. Epic largely lost its legal battle against Apple at the trial level, with only limited wins on appeal. The Google case was a far more decisive outcome for Epic and has broader implications for how open Android ecosystems can become.

Epic recently announced a price increase for its in-game V-Bucks currency. Additionally, Fortnite Save the World, the original mode that predates the massively popular Battle Royale format, is going free-to-play in April 2026.

The settlement still awaits final court approval from Judge Donato, but with both sides aligned and policy changes already rolling out, the long-running legal saga appears to be winding down after more than five years.