Epic’s Dream Is Starting To Come True — Its Store Will Be Preinstalled On ‘millions’ Of Android Phones

Telefónica, 1 of nan largest carriers successful nan world serving nan UK, Spain, Germany, and Latin America pinch nan O2 and Movistar networks, will statesman preinstalling nan Epic Games Store connected each caller compatible Android telephone it sells — including Samsung phones.

It’s information of a “long connection partnership” to bring nan shop and smash deed Fortnite to “millions” of nan carrier’s devices, according to Telefónica and Epic. It’ll beryllium nan first clip nan Epic Games Store is preinstalled connected personification phones, and it could beryllium nan adjacent ample measurement successful realizing Epic’s dreams of challenging Google’s app shop monopoly and expanding its trim of revenue.

Last December, a nationalist assemblage unanimously sided pinch Epic Games successful Epic v. Google, uncovering that Google had turned its Android app shop and Google Play Billing activity into an forbidden monopoly. Epic primitively sued successful 2020, alleging that Google had “blocked” aliases “bribed” phonemakers and cellular carriers to support games for illustration Fortnite and replacement app stores from being preinstalled connected phones.

But now, astir a play aft Judge James Donato barred Google from immoderate further imaginable blocks aliases bribes, 1 of nan world’s largest carriers will statesman those preinstalls, adding an afloat rival crippled shop (one that whitethorn too proscription non-game apps successful nan future) to Google’s own.

Technically, Epic only launched its Epic Games Store connected mobile this past August. Previously, it wanted astir each phonemaker and bearer to preinstall 1 of a mates different types of Fortnite installer apps to bring nan crippled to their phones. It offered a assortment of deals to tempt them, and Samsung, LG, OnePlus and Huawei each initially agreed to do so.

But OnePlus only ever managed to do truthful successful India, allegedly because it needed support that Google wouldn’t grant. (Google disputes that reasoning.) LG apparently backed retired because of a Google statement arsenic well.

Telefónica wasn’t 1 of nan carriers that Google “bribed,” Epic spokesperson Natalie Muñoz confirms to The Verge, truthful it’s not for illustration Judge Donato’s bid is making this precocious possible.

In fact, Telefónica has collaborated pinch Epic successful nan past. In 2020, it began letting Movistar customers successful Spain tack their Fortnite purchases onto their telephone bill. That year, tribunal documents revealed Telefónica could expect to summation 5 percent of nan proceeds from those Fortnite players arsenic a result. Verizon and Hutchison (Three, Wind Tre) were offered akin deals, but we don’t cognize if they’ll now recreation suit.

I wonderment what Samsung thinks astir Telefónica preinstalling nan Epic Game Store connected its phones — this September, Epic sued Samsung arsenic well.