Telecoms giant Telefonica said on Thursday it was working with Epic Games to bring the Marketplace app from the maker of the video game “Fortnite” directly to millions of devices on the Spanish company’s network.
The marketplace app, called “Epic Games Store,” will be pre-installed on all new compatible Android devices running on the Telefonica network in Spain, the UK, Germany, Mexico and Spanish-speaking regions of Latin America.
The move will make it easier for players to download games like Fortnite, Fall Guys, and Rocket League Sideswipe directly from the Epic Store without having to rely on traditional app markets like the Google Play Store or Samsung Galaxy Store.
This also marks the first time that Epic’s Games Store has been pre-installed on an Android device.
The companies said users will also be able to download third-party games in the future.
The partnership is also a win for Epic, which has been trying to expand the distribution of its video games beyond smartphone companies’ official app stores and has accused Alphabet’s Google and Samsung of stifling competition in app stores.
Epic Games had earlier sparred with Google and iPhone maker Apple over rules that charge commissions of up to 30% on App Store payments. After being banned for nearly four years, Fortnite returned in August on iPhones in the EU and Google Android devices globally.
Cary, North Carolina-based Epic and Telefonica said they would expand their partnership next year to “deliver additional benefits to mobile operators on Telefonica’s network,” without elaborating further.
© Thomson Reuters 2024
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