Following Epic Games’ decision to skip the Play Store for the Fortnite Battle Royale for Android release, you could forgive Google for being a little salty. However, that doesn’t mean the company is going to sit back allow Play Store patrons to be scammed by clone games likely to show up in search results.
When users search for Fortnite in the Play Store, they’ll see the following message: “Fortnite Battle Royal [sic] by Epic Games is not available on Epic Games.” That’s followed by a listing for Battle Breakers, another Epic Games title that’ll be launching on Google Play soon.
First spotted by a Reddit user (via PhoneArena), it’s a classy move from Google, given many folks seeking Fortnite on Android won’t have followed the distribution saga.
Epic’s decision to bypass Google and offer the game via its own website will allow it to retain 100% of the revenue from in-app purchases. Apps sold via the Play Store must hand over 30% off all revenue to Google.
Epic has made the decision is hoping the notoriety and demand for Fortnite will supersede the added convenience, security and visibility offered by the Play Store.
The long-awaited game is available now on compatible Samsung devices, with the beta arriving on the following phones on Sunday August 12:
Samsung Galaxy: S7 / S7 Edge, S8 / S8+, S9 / S9+, Note 8, Note 9, Tab S3, Tab S4 Google: Pixel / Pixel XL, Pixel 2 / Pixel 2 XL, Asus: ROG Phone, Zenfone 4 Pro, 5Z, V Essential: PH-1 Huawei: Honor 10, Honor Play, Mate 10 / Pro, Mate RS, Nova 3, P20 / Pro, V10 LG: G5, G6, G7 ThinQ, V20, V30 / V30+ Nokia: 8 OnePlus: 5 / 5T, 6 Razer: Phone Xiaomi: Blackshark, Mi 5 / 5S / 5S Plus, 6 / 6 Plus, Mi 8 / 8 Explorer / 8SE, Mi Mix, Mi Mix 2, Mi Mix 2S, Mi Note 2 ZTE: Axon 7 / 7s, Axon M, Nubia / Z17 / Z17s, Nubia Z11
The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 and Galaxy Tab S4 versions arrive with an exclusive skin.
Have you tried the Fortnite for Android beta yet? Does it live up to the hype? Drop us a line @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
