Epic’s dream is starting to come true – its store will be pre-installed on ‘millions’ of Android phones

Telefónica, one of the largest operators in the world serving the UK, Spain, Germany and Latin America with the O2 and Movistar networks, will start pre-installing the Epic Games Store on all new compatible Android phones it sells – including Samsung – telephones.

It’s part of a “long-term partnership” to bring the store and smash here Fortnite to “millions” of the carrier’s devices, according to Telefónica and Epic. It will be the first time the Epic Games Store is pre-installed on consumer phones, and 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 ruled in favor of Epic Games Epic v. Googleand found that Google had turned its Android app store and Google Play Billing service into an illegal monopoly. Epic initially sued in 2020, alleging that Google had “blocked” or “bribed” phone manufacturers and mobile carriers to keep games such as Fortnite and alternative app stores from being pre-installed on phones.

But now, about a month after Judge James Donato ruled Google out of further potential blocking or bribery, one of the world’s largest providers will begin those pre-installs and add an entire rival game store (one that may also include apps that don’t are games in the future ) to Google’s own.

Telefónica was not one of the providers Google “bribed,” confirmed Epic spokesperson Natalie Muñoz. The edgeso it’s not like Judge Donato’s order makes this recently possible.

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

I wonder what Samsung thinks about Telefónica pre-installing the Epic Game Store on its phones – in September Epic also sued Samsung.