Fortnite on Android could be arriving in August

Fortnite Battle Royale might be one of the biggest mobile games of all time but there’s a major issue at stake: it’s not available on Android yet.

Fortnite’s creators, Epic Games, revealed earlier this year that Fornite on Android would be arriving in the summer and according to a new report, it could be as soon as August 9.

Android fans might think that date sounds similar and they would be right, as this is the same day Samsung is set to reveal its next smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy Note 9.

According to a report by 9to5Google and XDA Developers, Samsung and Epic Games are planning to launch Fortnite on Android exclusively with the Galaxy Note 9.  

Citing trusted sources, the hit game would be available on the new Galaxy smartphone exclusively for a 30-day window.

As well as getting access to Fortnite early, anyone who buys the Note 9 will get free V-Bucks (Fortnite’s in-game currency), skins and more. 

That means Android gamers will either have to pick up the new smartphone in a few weeks or wait another month to get the game on their own phone, in a whole Fornite-Samsung Note 9 bundle. 

We’re slightly sceptical about this. The Note series is usually aimed at more of a business crowd, due to its phablet form, whereas the Galaxy S series, unveiled at Mobile World Congress every year, is seen as the more consumer-focused smartphone.

Yet, according to rumours around the Note 9 it’s going to be getting some seriously game-friendly features. It’s going to be launching with 128GB of storage and 6GB of RAM as its base, which is a decent amount to store games. 

As well, the chips the phone could be fitted with, either the Exynos 9810 or Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, are optimised to provide a smooth gaming experiences.

And the Note 9 could be launching with a 4,000 mAh battery, which will allow players to game for hours. We’ve contacted Samsung for comment. 

To top it all off when Samsung published its results for the second quarter earlier this month, sales of its smartphones are falling. The Galaxy S8 sold the lowest of any flagship Samsung phone since the Galaxy S3, something that will be a cause for concern. 

By teaming up with a very in-demand game like Fortnite, Samsung would hope to see those sales surge with people wanting to get the game as soon as possible.

Either way, Fortnite on Android is coming soon. It’s just a question of when exactly.