Fortnite could remain Galaxy-exclusive for months after Galaxy Note9 exclusivity ends

Fortnite is the biggest Battle Royale game currently and its launch on Android may change how things are done. Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeny confirmed that the game will be exclusive to Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Note9. New evidence suggests that the Galaxy Tab S4 10.5 may be part of the first month exclusivity.

But the deal with Samsung doesn’t end there. After the first month, Fortnite for Android will be available only through the Galaxy App store for the following 2-3 months. Some info from promo materials for Huawei’s Honor Note 10 seemingly confirms the timing for the game’s wide release.

After the Galaxy exclusivity ends, Fortnite will still not be available on the Play Store. Instead, gamers will have to download the APK from Epic’s site and sideload it. At first, though, the in-game purchases will be tied to the Galaxy Apps payment system.

Why all the bother? Google is taking a 30% cut from all sales on the Play Store, including the initial purchase and any in-app purchases. Epic thinks that’s too much. Samsung normally takes only a 20% cut, but is open to making special deals – and Epic Games probably got one, given the cross promotion that will occur with the exclusivity.

Fortnite is currently second on Twitch, close to League of Legends, and well ahead of its main competition – PUBG (it has more than double the viewers). Of course, only some of the streams will be from a Galaxy Note9 after it launches, but that’s still a lot of eyeballs on the phone.

You have to wonder if other big game publishers are considering a similar move of bypassing the Play Store.

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