Epic’s dream is starting to come true — its store will be preinstalled on ‘millions’ of Android phones

Illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge

Telefónica, one of the largest carriers in the world serving the UK, Spain, Germany, and Latin America with the O2 and Movistar networks, will begin preinstalling the Epic Games Store on every new compatible Android phone it sells — including Samsung phones.

It’s part of a “long term partnership” to bring the store and smash hit Fortnite to “millions” of the carrier’s devices, according to Telefónica and Epic. It’ll be the first time the Epic Games Store is preinstalled on consumer phones, and it could be the next big step in realizing Epic’s dreams of challenging Google’s app store monopoly and increasing its cut of revenue.

Last December, a federal jury unanimously sided with Epic Games in Epic v. Google, finding that Google had turned its Android app store and Google Play Billing service into an illegal monopoly. Epic originally sued in 2020, alleging that Google had “blocked” or “bribed” phonemakers and cellular carriers to keep games like Fortnite and alternative app stores from being preinstalled on phones.

But now, roughly a month after Judge James Donato barred Google from any further potential blocks or bribes, one of the world’s largest carriers will begin those preinstalls, adding an entire rival game store (one that may also carry non-game apps in the future) to Google’s own.

Technically, Epic only launched its Epic Games Store on mobile this past August. Previously, it wanted nearly every phonemaker and carrier to preinstall one of a couple different types of Fortnite installer apps to bring the game to their phones. It offered a variety of deals to tempt them, and Samsung, LG, OnePlus and Huawei all initially agreed to do so.

But OnePlus only ever managed to do so in India, allegedly because it needed permission that Google wouldn’t grant. (Google disputes that reasoning.) LG apparently backed out because of a Google contract as well.

Telefónica wasn’t one of the carriers that Google “bribed,” Epic spokesperson Natalie Muñoz confirms to The Verge, so it’s not like Judge Donato’s order is making this newly possible.

In fact, Telefónica has partnered with Epic in the past. In 2020, it began letting Movistar customers in Spain tack their Fortnite purchases onto their phone bill. That year, court documents revealed Telefónica could expect to earn five percent of the proceeds from those Fortnite players as a result. Verizon and Hutchison (Three, Wind Tre) were offered similar deals, but we don’t know if they’ll now follow suit.

I wonder what Samsung thinks about Telefónica preinstalling the Epic Game Store on its phones — this September, Epic sued Samsung as well.

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