Fortnite returns to Google Play Store worldwide

With Fortnite, one of the most played video games of all time returns to Android devices – officially and without an additional app.

Android users will find Fortnite back in the Google Play Store soon.

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Mar 18, 2026 at 1:44 pm CET

2 min. read

By

Josef Erl

After almost six years, Fortnite is again regularly available in the Google Play Store. Epic Games is bringing the popular battle royale title back to Google's app marketplace for Android worldwide starting March 19 – exactly on the day the new season starts and higher prices for the in-game currency take effect.

The Android version includes the full offering, including Battle Royale, Lego Fortnite, Fortnite OG, as well as community-created multiplayer worlds. The new Chapter 7 Season 2, titled “Showdown,” is also directly integrated.

Simplified access and higher prices

Since 2020, installing Fortnite on Android was only possible through workarounds, such as via the Epic Games Store for mobile devices or via cloud streaming services like Xbox Cloud Gaming or Amazon Luna. The return to the Play Store simplifies access for Android users, as no separate service installation is required anymore.

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However, the relaunch on Android coincides with a price adjustment for the in-game currency. Also starting March 19, players will receive only 800 V-Bucks for the same price instead of 1000. The virtual currency is used for cosmetic items or the Battle Pass. Epic cites significantly increased operating expenses as the reason for the price increase.

Agreement in the battle of giants

Fortnite was first released in 2017 and has since become one of the most popular games of all time. However, after developer Epic Games tested its market power in 2020 and attempted to circumvent the then-due 30 percent revenue share on in-app purchases, Google and Apple removed Fortnite from their stores. The consequence: long-standing legal proceedings between Epic and both platform operators.

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Last November, Google and Epic reached an agreement and jointly presented changes for Google's Play Store in March of this year, which are to apply worldwide. These include Google's permission for alternative payment methods and privileged third-party app stores for Android. Shortly thereafter, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney also confirmed the return to the Play Store. In the USA, Fortnite has been available again in the Google Play Store since December. Apple brought back Epic's cash cow in May 2025.