One of the upcoming Android mobile game Fortnite is set to be released this year. But the game will not be available on Google Play. Instead, it will be available directly from their website to maintain a direct relationship with their customer and to avoid Google Play Store fees.
According to The Verge, Epic confirms the earlier rumors that the Fortnite game will not be coming to the Google Play Store. Because Epic wants to maintain a direct relationship with their players and to avoid Google Play’s fees, Epic decided to release the Android version of their game Fornite to its own website. Meaning, Epic will provide an installer program to install and play the game to Android devices. While for the iOS counterpart, Epic releases their game on App Store because of the strict ecosystem of Apple.
Epic CEO Tim Sweeney says “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.“
The second reason why Epic wants to avoid Google Play Store because of the 30% cut for all of Fornite’s in-app purchases. Epic believes the cut is disproportionate to the real cost of the services that the Google Play Store offers, including the payment, processing and customer service. The 70% revenue of the game should cover to all cost in developing, operating and supporting the game.
Fornite was release first in mobile on iOS in April, and just after its first month it raked over $25 million through the game in-app purchases. The iOS and Android will be featuring a cross-play where players from different OS platform can play together.
The release date for the Android version of Fortnite has not yet been announced.