I didn’t expect to end 2025 with Fortnite back on my mobile gaming list, but here we are. It appears Santa is working overtime this season. After years of back-and-forth between Epic Games and Google, the game is now officially downloadable on the Google Play Store in the United States. There's no word on global availability yet, but keep your fingers crossed. Download it now on your Android phone or tablets.
Epic and Google have settled their dramatic beef
It all started in 2020, when Epic Games deliberately broke Google Play’s rules. At the time, Google required all apps distributed through its virtual marketplace to use its in-app billing system, which takes a 30% commission on digital purchases.
Epic didn’t want to pay that cut, and probably saw server, development, moderation, live events, anti-cheat, and constant update costs flashing before their eyes. Handing over nearly a third of every digital sale is excessive.
They responded immediately by filing a lawsuit against the tech giant, accusing the company of abusing its dominance on Android and forcing developers into unfair payment terms. Google already controls Android, giving them a lot of power.
Most Android phones ship with Google Play preinstalled, set as the default app store, deeply integrated into the system, and required for access to core services. Competing app stores can exist, but they are already several steps behind before the user even touches the phone.
The game makers eventually created workarounds by pushing users to sideload the game or install the Epic Games Store app from the official website. It's what kept Fortnite alive all these years.
But as expected, it dramatically reduced their reach. Most casual users simply do not sideload apps unless they have to or are dedicated enough to risk their devices' security.
That said, the turning point of their settlement was Google losing its appeal in mid-2025. The appeal tried to overturn a 2023 jury verdict which found that they had illegally maintained a monopoly over Android app distribution and payments through the Play Store. Both companies are now reaching a court-supervised settlement in late 2025.
What's so special about Fortnite, anyway?
Fortnite is a free online multiplayer game that's best known for its battle royale mode. A hundred players drop onto an island, scavenge for weapons and resources, build structures in real time, and fight until only one player or team remains.
Over the years, Fortnite has evolved into more than just a shooter and now has collaborations with popular movie stars and music artists. On Android, Fortnite is more demanding than the average mobile game, which is why it was not supported on many older or low-end phones even before the Play Store ban.
For minimum Android requirements, you need Android 8.0 (Oreo) or newer, a 64-bit Android device, at least 4GB RAM, ARM64 CPU, GPU roughly equivalent to Adreno 530 or better, stable internet connection, and around 12GB storage as it grows with updates.
