Epic Games calls out Google with Fortnite’s release on the Play Store

You would think Fortnite already had its bases covered with how many platforms the popular battle royale game is available on. The Google Play Store was the one exception, as Epic Games was dealing with a problem and its name is Google.

History isn’t being rewritten here because, from Google’s perspective, Android is one platform it’s been unofficially available since 2018.

Before its Google Play store release, Fortnite players on Android were forced to install the game directly through a process known as sideloading. That has changed since Fortnite‘s release on the Google Play Store in 2020.

With the game’s official release on Android, the Fortnite developer puts everything on the table with how the company truly feels about Google’s policies.

“Google puts software downloadable outside of Google Play at a disadvantage. Through technical and business measures such as scary, repetitive security pop-ups for downloaded and updated software. As well as restrictive manufacturer, carrier agreements and dealings. Google public relations characterizing third-party software sources as malware, and new efforts such as Google Play Protect to outright block software obtained outside the Google Play store,” the developer said in an emailed statement. ”

“We hope that Google will revise its policies and business dealings in the near future so that all developers are free to reach and engage in commerce with customers on Android and in the Play store through open services, including payment services, that can compete on a level playing field.”

Epic Games says it won’t stop operating Fortnite on the Epic Games app and outside of the Google Play Store.

Source: Google Play