[UPDATE] Fortnite Mobile is not coming to Google Play Store?

[UPDATE] Just last week, there was a rumor where Fortnite Mobile for Android will be coming soon – but only exclusively for Samsung Note 9. It will only be available for the Samsung Note 9 through the phone by going on their official site. So Samsung Note 9 owners will be able to play the game on their phones 1 month earlier than other Android users.

Now all that is confirmed, at apparently Fortnite Mobile for Android will not be available through Google Play Store. Below is the explanation by Epic Games’ CEO, Tim Sweeney, to GamesIndustry.biz:

The company’s CEO Tim Sweeney tells GamesIndustry.biz that this is in part to build “a direct relationship with all our customers”, but that the decision is also “motivated by economic efficiency” – namely avoiding the need to pay Google a 30 per cent cut of all revenue generated by the game.

“The 30 per cent store tax is a high cost in a world where game developers’ 70 per cent must cover all the cost of developing, operating, and supporting their games,” he explains.
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It is revealed that Fortnite Mobile will be exclusively launched for Samsung Galaxy Note 9 one month ahead from the other Android devices, which is quite a bad news for those who can’t afford the new Note 9. And now, we are getting another bad news – Fortnite Mobile might not launch on the Google Play Store. Instead, the game is downloadable only from the official site via a web browser.

According to xda-developers, the source code of the official Fortnite Mobile page includes lines to instruct users on how to download and install the game on their Android smartphone. There is no Google Play link for download, and users are prompted to get the game directly from a browser. Users will also be prompted to enable installation from unknown sources in order to install the game.

It is strange to not direct Android users to download the game from the Google Play Store, as the same page prompted iOS users to get the game directly from the App Store. Epic Games apparently doesn’t intend to offer the game via the Google Play store, but why? Are they trying to avoid paying the 30% cut of sales for IAPs to Google?

Having to download the game from sources other than Google Play Store is obviously not a good idea because it opens the door for malware, and we certainly don’t want it to happen. Nonetheless, the news is not confirmed yet, we shall wait for Epic Games’ official announcement for the details on Android release. What is your opinion on this matter? Share with us below!