Fortnite bypassing Google’s app store will cost Android maker millions – and could cause a serious snowball effect

Video game Fortnite has amassed an unrivalled following with its child-friendly multiplayer action that can be enjoyed on most modern devices. The game’s creator is using that popularity to challenge one of the most entrenched business models in the mobile industry: the app store.

Epic Games recently said it will not distribute Fortnite through the Google Play app store. Instead, Android users will need to visit the Fortnite website and disable some security features on their phones to complete the download.

The move threatens Google and highlights some of the weaknesses of its Android operating system, especially compared with Apple’s offering, analysts said.

Outside China and a few other Asian countries, most mobile game companies list their creations on the app stores that come pre-installed on Android phones and iPhones. In return for providing a massive potential audience and handling user identity and payment details, Google and Apple take 30 per cent of the revenue that games generate. They pull in billions of dollars a year from the arrangement.

Fortnite is already so popular on personal computers and other devices that Epic Games decided it did not need Google’s help and chose to keep that 30 per cent for itself. While Fortnite is a special case, some analysts think it sets a worrying precedent for Google and shows how Android is potentially less lucrative than Apple’s iOS operating system.

Fortnite’s move “could be a precursor for a possible shake-up to the current model of Google Play collecting 30 per cent taxes on game developers,” wrote Ross Sandler, an analyst at Barclays, in a note to investors. Google declined to comment and Epic didn’t respond to a request for comment.