After five long years and courtroom battles, Fortnite has finally returned to the Google Play Store today, just in time for the big Fortnite Showdown.
In 2020, Fortnite was removed from the Google Play Store due to marketplace issues (namely, over a lack of storefront options and a huge percentage taken by Google), and following legal settlements, it has now been restored to the Google platform. Everyone with an Android can now return to Battle Island and get into the fray on the go.
Earlier in the week, The Verge reported that Epic Games and Google have settled their differences to such a degree that the often outspoken Epic Games CEO, Tim Sweeney, agreed to give up his ability to criticize the Google platform. Today, it can be played like it never left, and players can jump right into Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 2: Showdown. A trailer can be seen below.
In the new season, players will choose between Team Foundation or Team Ice King, and like other seasonal offerings, will provide a slew of new weapons, items, and rewards that can be obtained during the Season. For the first time in Fortnite, democracy will play a key component in the Battle Pass, and the winning team at the end of the Season (which can be heavily influenced by winning player attendance) decides the final reward: everyone with the Battle Pass unlocks either Frost-Ready Foundation or Exalted Frost Ice King.
On April 9, Arenas (a new Ranked and build-only mode) will introduce new close-quarters combat to players, and you will be allowed to challenge your friends to a 1v1 boxfight or battle it out in a 16-player round robin competition as a duo or solo, and this new format will be available on the Google Play Store.
Earlier this month, Google announced that it was lowering the percentage it takes of in-app payments from 30 percent to between 10 and 20 percent. This is when Tim Sweeney confirmed that Fortnite would return to Google’s mobile storefront. Today, players using Google’s platform can jump back in like it never left.
