Fortnite available on the Google Play Store for the first time

Fortnite is now available for Android on the Google Play Store. The game was previously available outside the Google Play Store as a direct download from developer Epic Games’ website.

In 2019, Epic told The Verge it asked Google to remove the expectation that apps “use Google’s payment service for in-app purchase.” It said the 30% fee Google requires is “illegal in the case of a distribution platform with over 50% market share.” Google disagreed.

Epic said in a statement to Polygon Tuesday that it’s changed its tune due to the “disadvantage[s]” Google puts on apps outside of the Google Play Store.

Here’s the company’s full statement:

After 18 months of operating Fortnite on Android outside of the Google Play Store, we’ve come to a basic realization:

Google puts software downloadable outside of Google Play at a disadvantage, through technical and business measures such as scary, repetitive security pop-ups for downloaded and updated software, restrictive manufacturer and carrier agreements and dealings, Google public relations characterizing third party software sources as malware, and new efforts such as Google Play Protect to outright block software obtained outside the Google Play store.

Because of this, we’ve launched Fortnite for Android on the Google Play Store. We’ll continue to operate the Epic Games App and Fortnite outside of Google Play, too.

We hope that Google will revise its policies and business dealings in the near future, so that all developers are free to reach and engage in commerce with customers on Android and in the Play Store through open services, including payment services, that can compete on a level playing field.

You can now download Fortnite for Android for free on the Google Play Store.

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