He also mentions that Epic likes having a direct relationship with its consumers, but let’s be cynical here for a moment. It’s worth pointing out that Fortnite is already making quite a bit of money without operating through any existing digital storefront; it’s also worth pointing out that Android systems actually allow you to sideload apps, while iOS does not. There’s no word on just when the title will be releasing, but if you’ve been watching the official store page to find out the day… well, you can stop doing that now.
Of course, as Android Central points out, this kind of lust for cash isn’t harmless, as the Google Play store isn’t just there to steal pennies from Epic but is itself a serious security measure. In the absence of Google Play support, it’s a good bet that malicious actors will be spinning up malware versions of the game and distributing them, pretending to be Epic, and it’ll work too, as you must manually choose to disable the third-party app security option in order to sideload the game. Moreover, the Play Store has a parental guard feature that stops kids from running amok with the family credit card. Will Epic protect purchases or offer an appeals process? Who knows.
“In the past, this exact same loophole has lead to data leaks and huge problems with data privacy,” Android Central argues. “Instead of keeping their users safe, many of whom are children, Epic Games has decided it’s cool to roll the dice on your behalf and hope you follow their instructions.”
