Why Fortnite for Android will not be in the Google Play Store

You already know that Fortnite is the game of fashion. However, for now only users who have a device with iOS have had the opportunity to try it. That is, with an iPhone or iPad in your pocket.

But the Fortnite phenomenon promises to acquire cyclopean dimensions when it lands on Android. In this way, the creators of the game, Epic Games, will have the opportunity to deliver themselves to 85% of the market share Because it is this overwhelming percentage that Google holds with your Android operating system.

But before the deployment materialized, Epic Games had an ace up its sleeve that has left users speechless. And it is that as announced, Fortnite will not be available to be downloaded through the Google Play Store.

Users who want to download the game, will have to go to the official page. Otherwise, they will not be able to download or install Fortnite. But why? Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has offered some explanations.

Why can't Fortnite be downloaded from the Google store?

Experts consider that installing an application from anywhere other than the official application store for that operating system – in this case Android – is a risk that affects to security and that users should not assume. Above all because it requires opening the doors of the phone to unknown developers, who have not passed Google's security screening before.

Tim Sweeney explained to TechCrunch that his goal on open platforms such as PC, Mac and Android, Epic's purpose is to offer games directly to customers. And he justifies himself by saying that if they could have done it on iOS, the procedure would have been the same. But so far, Fortnite for iOS is available from the Apple App Store. And there is no more. Exactly the same thing happens with the rest of the platforms: on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch the game can only be downloaded from their respective stores. There is no possibility to download the game from another place.

Will we download Fortnite or an app loaded with malware?

We, security companies and us, have been warning users for a long time that they should only download applications from official stores to avoid downloading programs loaded with malware or virus. This is important, because if fraudulent applications sometimes sneak into the official stores, it is logical to deduce that outside of these the ground is absolutely fertile to catch unsuspecting users.

But the person in charge of Epic Games trusts users enormously And he explains that open platforms are precisely an expression of freedom, so that developers have the full right to present their programs or applications as they please.

The only thing he recommends to users is to pay close attention to the source of the software they intend to install. And only download programs from trusted sourcesFor them, the fact that the new versions of Android offer users the possibility of accepting or revoking certain permissions (to access the microphone, contacts, etc.) is already a guarantee of security.

Tim Sweeney has recognized that with this gesture, Epic Games has assumed a very high risk The date of its availability is not yet known He has said nothing, but the version should be ready this summer. We will remain attentive in the coming days and weeks to offer you all the information in this regard.