Spanish mobile network operator Telefónica, better known in Germany under the O2 brand, and Epic Games have announced that the Epic Games Store will soon be pre-installed on all of the network operator's compatible Android smartphones.
Installation via detours
Anyone who wants to install the Epic Games Store app, for example to play Fortnite on their smartphone, doesn't have it that easy at the moment because the app is not available in the Google Play Store. Installation is only possible via the Epic website by downloading and installing an APK file, which is significantly less convenient for users without any technical background than downloading the app via the Play Store.
Baldhead preinstalled
Epic Games is now breaking new ground and deepening its existing partnership with Telefónica. Result: In the near future, the Epic Games Store app will already be pre-installed on all (new) compatible smartphones with a contract with O2. This is intended to make the app easier to access, as the somewhat more complex installation is no longer necessary.
In addition, further “benefits” that will result from the partnership were announced for the future. What advantages these are remain unclear at this point, as well as when exactly the step will be implemented, which smartphones are “compatible” and whether the Epic Games Store app can be uninstalled again if necessary.
Existing collaboration in the past
The partnership between Telefónica and Epic Games is not new. Both companies had already worked together during Corona times and created a digital music experience in Fortnite with “The O2 in Fortnite”. In addition, O2 was the first provider to offer direct carrier billing in the Epic Games Store, as well as the option to settle payments in the Epic Games Store via the invoice for the mobile phone contract.
Lorena Itziar Senador-G'mez Lázaro, Director of Partnerships and Devices at Telefónica, says of the partnership: “With this collaboration with Epic Games, we strengthen our relationship and go one step further to provide our customers with high quality, accessible and innovative digital experiences.“
Availability
The time availability is not yet known, but it has already been announced that the mentioned innovations will apply to Germany, Great Britain, Spain and parts of Latin America.
