Fortnite for Android is about to launch soon as a Samsung exclusive, and when it finally comes to other Android devices, it’ll be available directly from Epic Games. After a recent leak revealed Epic’s plans, the studio confirmed its decision to bypass the Google Play store, which I think isn’t the right move for any kind of app, not just a massive game like Fortnite.
But it turns out that, as much as Epic wants to avoid the Play store, the company might have a different feeling about Samsung’s own app store, as the game might be available from the Galaxy Apps store soon. At least that’s what a leaked Fortnite APK suggests.
An xda-developers forum member obtained the Fortnite APK, but you can’t play the game now, no matter how much you’d like to. That’s because the APK isn’t functional unless your account has been whitelisted by Epic. But the leak does provide some insights into the company’s plans for Android. Here’s proof the app will run on Android devices:
According to the installer, the game might not only be a Galaxy Note 9 exclusive at launch, as you’ll be able to play it on a different Samsung gadget: the Galaxy Tab S4 tablet that was just launched. The installer will deliver Fortnite v 5.20 on your device, which is supposed to go live on other platforms later this week.
Per 9to5Google, the code reveals that Epic is using Samsung’s in-app purchase API, which seems to indicate the game will be available to download via the Galaxy Apps store. Nothing is confirmed, but this might be an easy way for Epic to make the game accessible to Samsung device owners, especially after the exclusivity period ends.
Then again, Epic has been pretty clear that it wants to avoid middlemen like Google’s Play store whenever possible, so partnering with Samsung for Galaxy Apps inclusion would be a bit hypocritical. Then again, Samsung is definitely paying for the exclusive, and Google’s 30% cut is the reason the company doesn’t want to distribute its popular game through the Play store.
It’s likely that Samsung will tell us more about Fortnite for Android in a few days during the Galaxy Note 9 launch event in New York.
