“Fortnite” manufacturer Epic is bringing the game store to millions of Android devices with a Telefonica partnership

“Fortnite” manufacturer Epic is bringing the game store to millions of Android devices with a Telefonica partnership

(Reuters) – Telecommunications giant Telefonica is working with Epic Games to bring the video game maker’s “Fortnite” marketplace app directly to millions of devices on the Spanish company’s network, the companies said on Thursday.

The marketplace app, called Epic Games Store, will be pre-installed on all new compatible Android devices operating on the Telefonica network in regions such as Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany, Mexico and Spanish-speaking Latin America.

The move will allow players to more easily download game titles like “Fortnite,” “Fall Guys” and “Rocket League Sideswipe” directly from the Epic Store, rather than relying on traditional app marketplaces like Google’s Play Store or Galaxy Store Leaving Samsung.

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It’s also the first time Epic’s Game Store will be pre-installed on Android devices.

Users will also be able to download games from third-party providers in the future, the companies said.

The partnership is also a win for Epic, which is trying to expand distribution of its video games beyond smartphone companies’ official app stores and has accused Alphabet’s Google and Samsung of stifling competition in app stores.

Epic Games had previously argued with Google and iPhone maker Apple over their rules about charging up to 30% commission on App Store payments. After nearly four years of suspension, Fortnite returned to iPhones in August in the European Union and on Google’s Android devices worldwide.

Epic and Telefonica, based in Cary, North Carolina, said they would expand the partnership next year and “bring more benefits to mobile players across the Telefonica network,” without elaborating.

(Reporting by Deborah Sophia in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)

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