Epic Games has confirmed that when Fortnite Battle Royale releases on Android phones it won’t be sold through the Google Play store.
Today Epic Games — via an email sent to The Verge — confirmed the rumor that Fortnite Mobile will not be available for Android users to download from the Google Play store. Instead, users will download an installer directly from EPIC’s website, which will load the game onto their Android devices.
The situation is somewhat similar to how Fortnite operates on PC, where Epic took the decision to bypass Steam and deliver the game via its own launcher and account system.
“First, Epic wants to have a direct relationship with our customers on all platforms where that’s possible. The great thing about the Internet and the digital revolution is that this is possible, now that physical storefronts and middlemen distributors are no longer required,” Sweeney said.
“Second, we’re motivated by economic efficiency,” he continued. “The 30 percent store tax is a high cost in a world where game developers’ 70 percent must cover all the cost of developing, operating, and supporting their games.”
The CEO went on to say that he thinks this amount is disproportionate to the services Google provides on open platforms like Android where the company that maintains the operating system is separate from the hardware manufacturer.
In addition to this, Sweeney commented on the Fortnite Android mobile list with “Fortnite will be coming to all Android devices that are capable of running it stably and with good performance. Stay tuned for details of the launch timing.”
There is no concrete release date yet for the Android version of Fortnite, but rumors circulating suggest the game’s release will be tied to the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 9 launch. Epic declined to comment on the game’s release date or any partnership plans with Samsung.
So how much money is potentially on the table? A lot. Sweeney estimates that there are roughly 250 million Android devices out there that are Fortnite ready. The average Fortnite player on mobile is spending almost $85. We’ll let you do the math.
