Google Play Store Now Tells You It Doesn’t Have Fortnite
Fortnite is the biggest mobile game release since Pokemon GO, but unlike Pokemon GO, you can’t download it from the Google Play Store. Epic Games is handling the distribution itself, so searches for Fortnite in the Play Store turn up a lot of junk that isn’t the game. Well, now Google is making it extra-clear that you can’t download Fortnite with a bespoke message in mobile search results.
Just fire up the Play Store on your phone, and search for “Fortnite Mobile” or some variation on the name to get the message. The web Play Store does not have this feature, though. The Play Store will return the following text at the top of your results.
Fortnite Battle Royal by Epic Games, Inc is not available on Google Play.
Yes, Google misspelled the name of the game — it’s “Royale,” not “Royal.” Below the message, Google has helpfully listed the developer account for Epic Games. There’s only one title (Battle Breakers), and it’s not available yet. Below that, the Play Store continues with the normal search results, which includes the competing PUBG mobile battle royale game. You’ll get the customized search results even if you misspell the game’s name, so Google must be getting a ton of Fortnite searches.
Avoiding Google Play distribution means Epic gets to keep all of the in-app purchase revenue rather than paying 30 percent of it to Google. Most developers just deal with that because having your title in the Play Store makes it easier to reach a large audience. Epic probably thinks that having the most popular game in the world gives it enough reach to go its own way.
It’s possible Epic Games will eventually decide to add Fortnite to the Play Store. If the battle royale genre loses steam, it might have trouble getting users to its website to download the game, which requires extra steps and makes updating a pain. For the time being, Google is just trying to make sure you don’t end up downloading something that just looks like Fortnite in the Play Store.
Continue reading
Apple Still Won’t Let Fortnite Back on the App Store
The court found in Apple's favor on nine of the ten claims brought by Epic, and the developer is contemplating an appeal in hopes of a more favorable judgment.
Epic Shuts Down Fortnite in China
Epic has not provided a reason for the shutdown, but we can safely assume it has something to do with the Chinese government's tightening restrictions on video games.
E3 2018: Nintendo Announces Super Smash Bros, Fortnite, and More for Switch
Some hotly anticipated titles are coming to the Switch in the next year.
Fortnite on the Switch Lacks PS4 Cross-Play Because Sony Is Stubborn
This isn't the fault of Nintendo or Epic (the Fortnite developer). You can blame Sony's increasingly aggravating opposition to cross-platform play.