Epic Video games has struck a deal with Telefónica to have its cellular storefront pre-installed on thousands and thousands of appropriate Android gadgets. As such, those that purchase a telephone from a Telefónica community reminiscent of O2 or Movistar in Spain, the UK, Germany and Spanish-speaking Latin America will instantly have the app, which affords entry to Fortnite, Fall Guys and Rocket League Sideswipe. Epic will deliver third-party video games to the storefront as properly, whereas the companions plan to supply cellular players on Telefónica’s networks additional perks over the subsequent yr or so.
Telefónica has greater than 392 million prospects. As such, this deal might deliver Fortnite and Fall Guys to an excellent larger viewers.
Epic debuted its cellular video games retailer a number of months in the past after years of wrangling with Apple and Google over the duo’s purported smartphone and pill duopoly — and having to offer the businesses a share of income from in-app purchases. Amongst different issues, Epic accused Google of blocking OnePlus from providing customers a approach to set up Fortnite with out having to undergo the Google Play retailer.
Nevertheless, Epic has had blended ends in its authorized battles with Apple and Google. It gained an antitrust case towards the latter, with a decide figuring out final yr that Google had an unlawful monopoly on app distribution and in-app billing on Android gadgets. The decide additionally dominated that Google’s distribution offers with different video games firms have been anticompetitive. However it largely misplaced the same case towards Apple.
The Epic Video games Retailer cellular app is accessible on iOS within the European Union (the place Apple was compelled to open up iOS to third-party app marketplaces) and around the globe on Android. Epic additionally plans to deliver it to iOS gadgets within the UK within the second half of 2025.