Battle royale shooter Fortnite is the most-played video game on the planet, with PC, console and iOS gamers logging on in their tens of millions to try and win one of its 100-player, last-man-standing matches.Android users are yet to get in on the act, but they wont have to wait much longer: Fortnite on Android is due to launch in the coming months, reportedly as early as August 24.Heres everything you need to know about the gaming phenomenon coming to your phone or tablet.What is Fortnite on AndroidThe mobile version is the full game you know and love from PCs and consoles, with the same weapons, the same map and an identical update schedule.The controls are adapted for touchscreen, with some actions automated to make it less fiddly, including picking up items and opening doors.Elements of the UI are different too, with extra building buttons popping up, and there are both on-screen footstep and gunshot indicators to tell you the direction of any nearby sounds.
Other than that, its the same game.Fornite on Android release dateEpic has not yet announced an exact release date, but has said it is targeting this summer, and its website says the Android version will be out within the next few months.However, reports from both XDA Developers and 9to5Google have said that Fortnite on Android will arrive later this month, coinciding with the release of the Samsung Galaxy Note 9.Sources have told both websites that the phone will hit stores on August 24, and that Fortnite on Android will be available exclusively on the device for 30 days after that.
It will then unlock for other Android phones on September 23.The websites also report that buying the Note 9 will net you free V-Bucks (as much as $150 / 115 / AU$200 worth), skins, and more.
Samsung is due to unveil the Note 9 at an event on August 9, so well no doubt find out more then.What devices will be compatible with Fortnite on AndroidThe list found in the source codeGoogle Pixel 2 / Pixel 2 XLHuawei Mate 10/Mate 10 Pro/Mate 10 LiteHuawei Mate 9/Mate 9 ProHuawei P10/P10 Plus/P10 LiteHuawei P9/P9 LiteHuawei P8 Lite 2017LG G6LG V30/V30 PlusMoto E4 PlusMoto G5/G5 Plus/G5SMoto Z2 PlayNokia 6Razer PhoneSamsung Galaxy A5 2017/A7 2017Samsung Galaxy J7 Prime 2017/J7 Pro 2017Samsung Galaxy Note 8Samsung Galaxy On7 2016Samsung Galaxy S9/S9 PlusSamsung Galaxy S8/S8 PlusSamsung Galaxy S7/S7 EdgeSony Xperia XA1/XA1 Ultra/XA1 PlusSony Xperia XZ/XZs/XZ1Again, Epic hasnt provided much information on which phones will be able to run Fortnite, but XDA Developers dug around in the source code for the games website to uncover a list of around 40 supported devices.That list is just to the side here, but remember: its likely that more devices will be supported when Android on Fortnite comes out.Phones that should be capable of running it aren't listed - such as the Huawei P20 Pro, OnePlus 6 and LG G7 ThinQ - and no Android tablets are mentioned either.How will you install the gameNot through the Play Store, if the source code for the games website is anything to go by.
Again, XDA Developers poked around and discovered lines that tell the player to download and install Fortnite through your browser, and takes you through steps that are necessary to install any app outside of the Play Store.Those lines are no longer displayed in the source code as of writing, but XDA developers has provided a screenshot of them for proof.This would mean hopping onto Epics own website on your browser of choice to download the game.
But why would Epic Games make it so complicated to download the gameWhy would Epic keep the Android version off the Play StoreIts certainly a bold decisionthe Play Store is where Android users get the vast majority of their apps, and so by not being there, Epic potentially loses some players.
But Fortnite is a huge household name, and perhaps the developer is hoping players wont mind taking a few extra steps to get it on their phone.Besides, by forcing players to download the game through its website, Epic doesnt have to share any of the money it makes from in-app purchases with Google.
If Fortnite was on the Play Store, Google would take a 30% slice, as Apple does with the iOS version.Considering that Fortnite on iOS has just passed 100 million downloads and cleared $160 million from in-app purchases, swerving the Play Store could prove to be a smart business decision for Epic.Will Fortnite on Android support cross-play with iOS, PCs and consolesYes - Fortnite on Android will be compatible with iOS, PC, PS4 and Xbox One versions of the shooter, so youll be able to squad up with your friends on other platforms.
Epic has not said whether cross-play for Android will be available at launch, or whether it will arrive later.Will there be a Fortnite on Android betaAgain, no word on this.
If reports that the Android version will first launch as a 30-day timed exclusive on the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 are true, then this could act as a beta, replacing the invite-only period that Epic implemented when the iOS version first came out.Stay tuned to this page for updates as-and-when they happen.69Tas5V6KP4F39wMkrx3SX.jpg#