'Fortnite' Leak Reveals Another Key Detail on Planned Android Launch
If it's true, Epic stands to make millions more in profit.
Excitement over Fortnite: Battle Royale’s imminent Android release date only grew after a list of 40 Android smartphones that will support the game hit the web. Now, a close look at the upcoming Android version’s source code suggests that Fortnite developer Epic Games is looking to cash in big on Android with one crucial feature.
On Sunday, XDA discovered a description within the Fortnite Android source code which instructs users on how to install the app. One line is particularly telling:
This is necessary to install any app outside of the Play Store.
Why is this significant? Well, Google takes a 30 percent cut of any app hosted on the Play Store, which is pretty much the industry standard. Apple’s App Store also take a 30 percent commission on all third-party apps (for the most part).
Apple takes a thicc cut from Fortnite iOS.
By leading players away from Google Play, Epic doesn’t have to share any of the profits. For the numbers that Fortnite churns out, 30 percent is a whole lot of dough. The company stands to make millions more per month by maneuvering around Google’s own distributor.
However, {Ars Technica](https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2018/07/fortnite-on-android-may-drive-its-battle-bus-past-googles-30-cut/?comments=1) argues that this could introduce some young players to sideloading apps, which requires users to disable some security features on their phone. In the past, Fortnite scammers have capitalized upon this by embedding malware in cheat patches.
We won’t know for sure how Epic will distribute Fortnite on Android until the release date actually arrives, but none of this is very surprising. The standard 30 percent commission fee on digital distributors has long been criticized by developers and fans on platforms such as Steam and GOG.
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