Fortnite to skip Google Play on Android

Players can pay for character costumes

The developer of Fortnite has confirmed it will bypass the Google Play app store when the game is released for Android smartphones.

The Google Play store lets Android users buy and download apps using a simple interface, although Google takes a 30% cut of sales made.

Epic Games' chief executive Tim Sweeney said 30% was "disproportionate" to the contribution Google made.

The studio has not yet announced when the game will arrive on Android.

Fortnite Battle Royale sees 100 players land on an island to look for weapons and build defences. The person who survives the longest wins.

The game is free to play, although gamers can choose to buy cosmetic customisations such as clothes and dance moves for their character.

In a statement about the decision to avoid Google Play, sent to news site The Verge, Mr Sweeney said that Epic Games wanted to have a "direct relationship with our customers on all platforms where that's possible".


SOURCE: BBC NEWS