Epic Offers Discounts to Use Direct Purchasing on Fortnite Mobile

In the latest in Epic's vendetta against using a third-party platform, they've introduced a direct payment option on the mobile version of Fortnite, bypassing the iOS/Android microtransactions fee. And to encourage people to use it, they've made it a few bucks cheaper.

In a new update to the iOS and Android versions of the popular battle royale game, users now have one of two options for payment when purchasing V Bucks, the game's premium currency. They can either purchase them through the relevant app store or use Epic's direct payment option.

In a new FAQ about the feature, Epic throws a jab at the platforms, calling the 30 percent fee they charge on money made through app purchases and microtransactions exorbitant. They further justify the validity of the new option, comparing it to the payment systems utilized by market apps like Amazon and DoorDash.

To make things fair for PC and console players, the same discount applied to the direct payment option will become the new standard price on those platforms as well. Epic has coined the change as the Fortnite Mega Drop.

Furthermore, if you purchased V Bucks within the last 30 days (or a bundle), Epic will refund you the difference you would have saved had you purchased it today. The process should be automatic and it should be applied to your account within a few days.

Epic has a history with avoiding or fighting against third-party hosting platforms, especially on mobile. For those unfamiliar, most platforms, like Steam, the iOS App Store, and Google Play Store, charge a 30 percent fee on money made using the platform. This is pretty standard in the industry.

Epic, however, has fought adamantly against this. When launching the Epic Games Store, the rival platform to Steam on PC, they boasted a much smaller fee rate, pressuring Steam to lower their own rate. On Android, they refused to upload the game onto the Play Store unless they waived off the fee, instead asking users to download it manually from their website. They eventually caved and published the game on the Google Play Store.

We don't know why Epic is so adamant not about having to pay a 30 percent fee. But one thing we're positive of is that whoever came up with the direct payment option likely received a huge raise.