Fortnite leak confirms Android users’ worst fears

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Fortnite Wingman Starter Pack
Yes, you'll need a Samsung to play Fortnite for Android.
Photo: Epic Games

Fortnite Battle Royale will be exclusive to Samsung devices when it finally comes to Android, a new leak has confirmed.

The upcoming Galaxy Note 9 or a second Samsung device will be required to play the game initially. Even if you happen to obtain the Fortnite package for Android, it won’t run on your handset until Samsung’s exclusive deal comes to an end.

It’s not yet clear exactly how long that will last.

We previously heard that Fortnite for Android would be exclusive to the Galaxy Note 9 at launch. It was reported that the exclusivity would last for around 30 days before Epic makes the game available to other compatible Android devices.

It turns out that rumor didn’t quite get everything right — but it was very close.

Fortnite will be a Samsung exclusive

It’s true that Samsung will have exclusivity over Fortnite on Android initially, according to a leaked APK obtained by XDA Developers. You’ll need either a Galaxy Note 9 or the recently-released Galaxy Tab S4 to play the game.

“The game has several checks in place such as for the mobile GPU, manufacturer, and model to decide whether the device should be allowed to run the game,” XDA explains.

“A method which checks the device’s brand, code-name, and feature-set and matches it against either the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 or Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 prevents these other Samsung devices from playing the game, it seems.”

The game also checks to see if the device has an S Pen stylus. This also prevents other Samsung devices from running the game, and could confirm reports that Fortnite will offer new control options for devices with S Pen functionality.

There is no hope for other handsets

Even if you somehow find a way past these checks, perhaps by using a modified APK, you still won’t be able to play the game unless your Fortnite account has been white-listed by Epic Games. You simply won’t be able to log in unless you have a supported device.

It’s not yet clear how long Samsung’s exclusivity will last, but one source claims Fortnite will be opened up to other devices after 30 days. Epic has already confirmed that the game won’t be available through Google Play; you’ll need to download it from Epic instead.

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