Why can't I find Fortnite to download on Google Play Store and App Store

Epic Games already knew what was going to happen. They have managed to make a demand that could go unnoticed among users and players become a trend during the last hours. The truth is that this conflict has been in the air for some time, but until now, Epic Games has limited itself to looking for other alternatives to download Fortnite and not have to give 30 percent of the payments of each user in the game to both platforms. . Epic Games has circumvented Google Play and App Store policy, and this has consequences. This is all that happened.

We go back to 2018, when Epic Games announced the availability of Fortnite, one of the most popular video games of the moment, on Android. This game was already available for a while in the App Store, but for users of the Google operating system it was going to be different. Epic didn't want to pay that 30 percent commission that Google puts into its app store when a user buys something within that app So they had to search an alternative: downloading the game through its own website. Although this had great risks. One of them, that users could end up on a fraudulent website and download malware instead of the video game.

In iOS the same thing did not happen. Epic Games didn't have the options that there are on Android, so it had to give up that 30 percent fee for the App Store, which is applied every time a user buys something within the application.A few months ago Epic Games also gave in to Google and decided to include Fortnite in the Play Store. In this way, users could download the app more securely and Epic gave 30 percent of each sale to Google. The Fortnite developer company has always complained that the commissions in the stores are excessively high and that neither of the two most important ones (Play Store and App Store) allow you to include a direct payment method. Payments are made through each store's platform, and when applied, 30% goes to that app store, while Epic's profit is 70%.

Apple removes Fortnite for violating App Store rules

A few hours ago, Epic decided to circumvent Apple and Google's policy and updated the game with a prohibited option: that of a direct payment method.That is, the user had the opportunity to choose if they wanted to buy V-Bucks (the in-game currency) through the application store or from Epic Games itself, thus getting a 20 percent discount if they chose the latter option.The problem is that the direct payment method in this type of applications is prohibited, both by Apple and Google. Not only is it a less secure method, but both companies lose that 30% commission.

Apple didn't take long to remove Fortnite from App Storee. The apple company released a statement warning that the policy is the same for all developers and that the objective of these rules was to offer a safer experience for the user. Minutes later, Epic Games unleashed the heavy artillery.

The developer of Fortnite announced that it was going to sue the company for monopoly They justify that the 30% commission is excessive, and that Apple does not allow adding another payment method. Epic Games, which already had everything prepared, published a video parodying one of Apple's most important announcements and highlighting that they challenged the App Store monopoly, and that is why Apple decided to block Fortnite on millions of devices.Bottom line: Epic, which could have filed a lawsuit without causing such a stir, has decided to leave iOS users without their game in order to have more of a role in this story. But this does not end here.

Google is also taking action

Epic also added this direct payment method on Google, so they were also breaking the Play Store policy Google has taken a little longer to take action, although You have followed the steps of Apple: Remove Fortnite from the Google Play Store. In this case, the big G highlighted in a statement that there are more alternatives to the Play Store on Android, and that if they do not accept the rules of Google Play, they can opt for another option. Among them, use the different app stores that are on other devices, such as the Galaxy Store or the App Gallery.

Epic Games has also sued Google for the same reason as Apple, alleging that they violate the Sherman Act and the Cartwright Act of California, although here Epic has more options to lose (practically the same as Apple). On Android there are many ways to download an app. In fact, the Fortnite developer already used one to avoid that 30% commission.

Therefore, on Android you can no longer download Fortnite from Google Play, but you can install it from the different app stores of each manufacturer or from the Epic Games Store,that is downloaded through the web. Of course, Google has not stood idly by and has taken other measures to 'punish' Fortnite for circumventing the Play Store policy.

According to Epic Games comments on one of the pages of the lawsuit filed, Google forced OnePlus to break a contract that the Chinese manufacturer had with the video game developer. Epic's agreement with OnePlus stood out for including Fortnite reinstalled in the company's terminals. In addition to different promotions and features. Epic warns that Google has also forced LG to stop the agreements between the two companies so that Fortnite arrives pre-installed on LG mobiles.

Who loses?

In short, who loses in this story? Mainly, the Fortnite player on iOS. First of all, because they will no longer be able to play Fortnite as there is no alternative to the App Store. Second, because many users have spent money on the game that they will not be able to use either. The App Store also loses that 30% commission when a player bought something in the game, although considering that we can download millions of apps, it is not something that particularly worries Apple.

Epic Games also loses a large number of players, although it is clear that the developer's steps are very thoughtful and would not take these stocks if their earnings were good.Therefore, this suggests that the number of players on iOS was so low lately, that Epic was barely making a profit from Fortnite.

On Android, who mainly loses is Google, since they won't be able to benefit from that 30% commission. Users are the least harmed, since there are other alternatives to Google Play. In this case, Epic Games also loses when seeing that Google has forced different manufacturers to break relations with Fortnite.