UPDATE 9am: Google has also removed Fortnite from Google Play, although the game is still available on Android via other storefronts. In response, Epic Games has now filed a lawsuit against Google too.
“The open Android ecosystem lets developers distribute apps through multiple app stores,” a Google spokesperson told The Verge. “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. 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.
UPDATE 9.35pm: Epic has made its Nineteen Eighty-Fortnite short film, which debuted in-game earlier tonight, available for viewing online. Riffing on Apple’s classic “1984” commercial, it concludes with Epic, now apparently casting itself in the role of fearless freedom fighter, declaring it has “defied the App Store Monopoly”.
This comes after it broke App Store guidelines regarding in-app purchases earlier today.
“In retaliation, Apple is blocking Fortnite from a billion devices,” the developer continued, “Join the fight to stop 2020 from becoming ‘1984’”. Epic has also launched the #FreeFortnite hashtag, which its team members began sharing on Twitter following the film’s release.
Nineteen Eighty-Fortnite – #FreeFortnite Watch on YouTube
UPDATE 8.30pm: Following Epic Games’ decision to include a direct in-game payment option in the iOS and Android versions of Fortnite in order to circumvent Apple and Google’s official in-app purchase mechanisms, Apple has pulled the game from its App Store.