Android devices can now download Fortnite directly from Google Play Store, bypassing the need to install an additional app.
Fortnite first arrived on the Andriod scene with some controversy. Its developer, Epic Games, did not want to hand over their hard-earned money to Google and so they did not make the game available on Play Store.
The players had to instead visit their website, download an installer app and then proceed to download the game. This was not very convenient and it posed a lot of challenges for Epic Games as well. Now, Epic Games has finally given up and made the game available on Play Store.
Fortnite is live on Google Play Store and players can now download it immediately like all the other games. The APK file is almost 100MB in size. Once that is installed, it will ask you to download the rest of the package. This means that you don’t have to get involved with additional apps like before. All of the app updates will also be released via Play Store, making it more streamlined and convenient.
Epic Games blamed the 18 months delay on Google and its practices. “After 18 months of operating Fortnite on Android outside of the Google Play Store, we’ve come to a basic realization. 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, restrictive manufacturer and 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,” says Epic Games.
Fortnite is playable on all the phones that can support its minimum requirements. If your phone is a flagship Android with Snapdragon 845 and newer, or Samsung’s Exynos 8895 and newer, the game can be played easily. But, modern mid-range phones like Redmi Note 9 Pro can also play the game so there is no need for you to spend excessive amounts of money on a gaming phone.