Epic Games' Fortnite restored in US Google Play Store on court orders

After a months-long hiatus, the video game giant Epic Games' popular battle royale title, Fortnite, has finally been restored on the U.S. Google Play Store following a recent court order.

This revival of Fortnite for U.S audiences comes after Epic settled a five-year legal dispute with Google related to the commission structure for in-app purchases.

The conflict started in 2020 when Epic Games launched a Fortnite version that bypassed Google’s in-app payment system, leading both Apple and Google to remove the game from their app stores. Epic subsequently lodged antitrust lawsuits against both tech giants.

Why do developers pay Apple commission?

In a relevant development against Apple, a court ruled that while Apple was not a monopolist, it must allow developers to direct users to alternative payment methods. Part of these rulings was overturned by an appeals court, allowing Apple to restrict the prominence of external payment links and continue charging fees on purchases made outside its App Store.

The decision to maintain an upper hand over third-party payment methods subjects developers to paying Apple a commission cut.

In contrast, Epic Games celebrated its victory over Google, where the court found the latter engaged in anticompetitive behaviour.

That being the case, Google will permit app developers under the new agreement to use alternative payment methods and has capped the fees it can charge.

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney praised the outcome as a “comprehensive solution,” reinforcing Android’s status as an open platform.

Fortnite's return to the Play Store in the US is a significant milestone in the company's ongoing battle for fair competition in the app marketplace.