Epic’s Game Store is bringing Fortnite back to Google Play

Following an appeals tribunal triumph connected Thursday, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney tweeted that “the Epic Games Store for Android volition beryllium coming to the Google Play Store.” This is contempt Google’s program to entreaty the Ninth Circuit panel’s decision, which declined to overturn a 2023 assemblage verdict that Google’s app store and outgo strategy had go amerciable monopolies.

There’s nary item yet connected timing, but it would marque accessing Fortnite and different Epic-distributed games overmuch simpler connected Android devices, without relying connected sideloading oregon making deals with telephone manufacturers to preload the store. On iPhone and iPad, the mobile mentation of the Epic Games Store is inactive lone disposable successful the European Union, but Android users could sideload it from the web since the apps launched past fall.

Epic whitethorn not beryllium the lone institution to enactment a rival app store wrong of Google’s Play Store successful the adjacent future. The Ninth Circuit appears to person lifted a enactment connected the full imperishable injunction that Epic won against Google’s app store monopolies, and that injunction would force Google to ace unfastened Android for different third-party stores arsenic well. “The enactment is lifted,” Epic spokesperson Cat McCormack confirms to The Verge.

The Epic Games Store connected Android maintains your persistent presumption successful games crossed platforms, and earlier this year, the institution brought its play escaped games program to the mobile stores, too. It besides has different Epic games, similar Fall Guys and Rocket League Sideswipe.

In a connection provided to The Verge, Google’s planetary caput of regulatory affairs Lee-Anne Mulholland said, “This determination volition importantly harm idiosyncratic safety, bounds choice, and undermine the innovation that has ever been cardinal to the Android ecosystem. Our apical precedence remains protecting our users, developers and partners, and maintaining a unafraid level arsenic we proceed our appeal.”