Fortnite has finally returned to Google’s Play Store in India for Android users after a long wait of almost six years. Epic Games’ battle royale game is now available with a download size of 314MB. For the uninitiated, Fortnite was first released in 2017 but, since 2020, it has been delisted from the Play Store due to Epic Games’ legal battle with Google over the in-app payment system.
Additionally, a new season named Fortnite Showdown is set to go live today. Epic Games said that in this new season, gamers will get to challenge other players as their rivals, wield new weapons, join the showdown between the Foundation and the Ice King, and drive the Battle Bus.
What is Fortnite
Fortnite is an online multiplayer title developed by Epic Games, first released in 2017. It is best known for its battle royale mode, where up to 100 players drop into a single map and compete until only one player or team remains. While the game includes multiple modes, the battle royale experience continues to be its primary draw. Its gameplay blends third-person shooting with a real-time building mechanic, allowing players to create structures for defence or tactical advantage during fights.
Alongside its core gameplay, Fortnite receives frequent updates that introduce new seasons, content drops and limited-time events. These updates are often tied to collaborations with major entertainment franchises, which have played a key role in keeping the game relevant and widely popular, particularly among younger audiences.
Epic Games vs Google explained
The conflict between Epic Games and Google goes back to August 2020, when Epic Games rolled out its own in-app payment system in Fortnite, effectively sidestepping Google Play’s billing rules. Google responded by pulling the game from the Play Store, citing policy violations. This move triggered a lawsuit from Epic Games, which argued that Google was using its monopolistic control over Android distribution and payments to limit fair competition, despite the platform technically allowing sideloading.
While Google went on to settle similar antitrust complaints with other parties through limited changes, Epic Games chose to continue the legal battle, seeking broader reforms instead of a monetary settlement. In December 2023, a US federal jury ruled in Epic Games’ favour, concluding that Google had engaged in monopolistic behaviour. The decision required Google to permit third-party app stores within the Play Store, remove certain revenue-sharing advantages and allow developers to direct users to alternative payment methods.
Google appealed the ruling, but on July 31, 2025, the appeals court upheld the verdict, strengthening Epic Games’ position. This outcome cleared the path for Fortnite and the Epic Games Store to return to the Play Store without earlier restrictions. However, the rollout was gradual, with the game taking several months to reappear in the US, followed by a longer delay in other markets. It has now finally returned to India.
Notably, Fortnite had also been removed from the Apple App Store during the same dispute, although it was reinstated for iOS users in May last year.
