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Epic Games
In a continuous fight with Google for a fair place on mobiles, Epic Games partnered with the telecommunications service Telefónica to "provide a more competitive ecosystem for Android players."
Now, Android devices on the Telefónica network in Spain, the UK, Germany, and Spanish-speaking LATAM will come with the Epic Games Store pre-installed so users can easily download Fortnite without going through "Google's misleading scare screens."
If you're confused, here's the gist: Epic had been battling with Apple and Google for a while, accusing them of being illegal monopolies. Apple had removed Fortnite from its App Store because Epic introduced direct payments that bypassed Apple's side, but after several years, Fortnite developer managed to get back.
As for its beef with Google, Epic Games thinks its messages about installing applications from unauthorized sources scare users and thus harm engagement. This collaboration with Telefónica should remove the issue and let more people enjoy Fortnite without jumping through hoops.
“Thanks to our partnership with Telefónica, players will now be able to access the Epic Games Store, Fortnite and soon games from third party developers directly on their Android device. We look forward to expanding our collaboration with Telefónica to bring even more benefits to players," commented Michael Modon, Senior Director of Growth Partnerships for Epic Games.
While most players are generally happy about the news, some are skeptical: "Installing Bloatwares to prevent a monopoly? Kinda ironic," said one user.
"It’s astounding how Epic keeps playing the victim card. lol. You’re bloatware now, congrats!" added another.
Epic Games, in turn, reassured users that its pre-installed app can be removed if needed: "Figured we’d just save you a few steps to install since Google makes the process really hard."
Whatever the case, Fortnite will be more accessible now, thanks to this treaty. Find Epic's message here and join our 80 Level Talent platform and our new Discord server, follow us on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Telegram, TikTok, and Threads, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.