Fortnite for Android release date is here – but you won't be able to download mobile app on Google Play

Epic Games is preparing to launch the Fortnite app, but there's a couple of major catches

Epic Games has snubbed Google Play for the Android version of Fortnite (Epic Games)

Epic Games is expected to release the highly-anticipated Fortnite app for Android as early as this week, but there's a couple of catches.

The first is that the release of the popular game – described by its developers as a cross between Minecraft and Left 4 Dead – may coincide with the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Note 9. A deal between Samsung and Epic Games means the game could be exclusively available on the premium device for a 30-day period.

This means that only people willing and able to shell out around £1,000 on the Samsung smartphone will actually be able to play Fortnite on Android.

Samsung is expected to release the Note 9 at an event on Friday, 10 August, though there has been no official word about the deal from either Epic Games or Samsung. Instead, rumours that Fortnite will be pre-installed with the phone have come from reports in blogs 9to5Google and XDA Developers.

The second catch is that the app will not be available through the Google Play Store, after Epic Games complained about the "disproportionate" cut that Google takes for enabling downloads through its online app store.

Google takes a 30 per cent cut of sales made through Google Play, which is the main platform through which Android users download apps to their smartphones and tablets.

Tim Sweeney, the chief executive of Epic Games, said in a statement shared with The Verge that his firm wants a "direct relationship with our customers on all platforms where that's possible."

He added: "The great thing about the internet and the digital revolution is that this is possible, now that physical storefronts and middlemen distributors are no longer required."

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Android is the last major platform yet to support Fortnite, with players already able to download the game for PC, Mac, Playstation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and iPhones and iPads through Apple's official app store.

Apple also takes a 30 per cent cut of sales through the App Store, however the Cupertino company has much tighter controls over installing apps and software through unofficial platforms.

Fortnite for Android devices will therefore only be available for download through the Epic Games website, and only in September. Its lack of availability has attracted cyber criminals, who have sought to capitalise on the game's popularity through fake links to Android versions of Fortnite.

Videos on YouTube also purport to explain how to download Fortnite for Android, leading to fake versions that contain malware.

Lukas Stefanko, a malware researcher for computer security firm ESET, told The Independent in June: "There are dozens of YouTube videos with millions of views leading users to fake ad-generating revenue."

Mr Stefanko added that anyone who downloads these versions risk infecting their devices with ransomware, banking malware and surveillance software that allows hackers to spy on people through their smartphone and tablet cameras.