Fortnite has now been pulled from Google’s Play Store following its removal from Apple’s iOS App Store overnight.
Google has cited the same issue with Fortnite as Apple in that it has recently introduced a new payment system that circumvents Google’s payment structure and allows users to pay Epic directly for in-game V-Bucks. Epic is offering users a 20% discount on transactions, but at the same time pockets all the proceeds after avoiding the 30% cut that Google (and Apple) would receive.
“The open Android ecosystem lets developers distribute apps through multiple app stores. For game developers who choose to use the Play Store, we have consistent policies that are fair to developers and keep the store safe for users,” Google said in a statement to The Verge.
“While Fortnite remains available on Android, we can no longer make it available on Play because it violates our policies. However, we welcome the opportunity to continue our discussions with Epic and bring Fortnite back to Google Play.”
Epic hasn’t released a parody video slamming Google as yet, nor are we aware of any lawsuits filed. Update: a lawsuit has also been filed by Epic against Google:
BREAKING: Epic has filed suit against Google as well pic.twitter.com/ldlTVpkUso
— Rod Breslau (@Slasher) August 14, 2020
Fortnite is currently available on Windows PC, Xbox One, PS4, Switch; it’s still playable on iOS and Android devices where the game has already been installed.
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