'Fortnite' maker Epic brings game store to millions of Android devices with Telefonica tie-up

(Reuters) - Telecom giant Telefonica is partnering with Epic Games to bring the "Fortnite" video game maker's marketplace app directly to millions of devices on the Spanish company's network, the companies said on Thursday.

The marketplace app, called "Epic Games Store", will be pre-installed on all new compatible Android devices operating on the Telefonica network across regions including Spain, UK, Germany, Mexico and Spanish-speaking Latin America.

The move will allow players to more easily download game titles including "Fortnite", "Fall Guys" and "Rocket League Sideswipe" directly from Epic's store, rather than relying on conventional app marketplaces like Google's Play store or Samsung's Galaxy store.

It also marks the first time Epic's game store will be pre-installed on Android devices.

Users will also be able to download third-party games in the future, the companies said.

The partnership is also a win for Epic, which has been attempting to expand the distribution of its video games beyond smartphone companies' official app stores and has accused Alphabet's Google and Samsung of stifling app store competition.

Epic Games earlier had a face-off with Google and iPhone maker Apple over their rules of charging up to 30% commissions on app store payments. After getting banned for nearly four years, Fortnite returned to iPhones in the European Union and worldwide on Google's Android devices in August.

Cary, North Carolina-based Epic and Telefonica said they would expand the partnership over the next year and "bring more benefits to mobile players across the Telefonica network", without elaborating further.

(Reporting by Deborah Sophia in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)