Fortnite is coming back to Google Play on Thursday March 19.
A post from the game’s official X feed confirmed the news earlier today nearly six years after the game was removed from Google’s Android app store for breaking its terms and conditions.
Epic famously tried to skip both Apple and Google’s 30% cut of all IAPs by switching on its own payments systems in the game, a deliberate violation of both Apple and Google’s app store rules.
Infamously, Epic had also prepared its ‘Free Fortnite’ marketing campaign to raise awareness of what it considered to be Apple and Google’s anticompetitive practices.
Many years of litigation followed, which helped opened up Apple’s App Store in the US, EU and other territories. Earlier this month, Epic also reached a settlement with Google that saw the flat 30% IAP commission drop to 20% in many cases, though an extra 5% fee will be charged later this year for developers using Google’s payments infrastructure.
Scare screens will also be less prominent as part of the agreement, and Google is rolling out a new Level Up program that could help developers reduce the IAP fee a further 5%.
We took a closer look at what it all means and why it’s not the victory Epic and Google think it is here.
We also spoke to Steve Allison, Epic Games Store boss, about why Epic has found it harder than expected to break through that Apple/Google duopoly with its own storefront.
