Fortnite Fans Voice Frustration Over Latest Companion Creatures and Alleged Monetization Tactics

Some Fortnite enthusiasts are experiencing disappointed, and it's not because of the latest virtual happenings. The game's current limited-time event, which brings a Springfield world, also unveiled a fresh feature called pets. There's no deny that the latest pets are adorable. But, the associated costs have left numerous players shocked at the company's attempts to monetize almost each part of the gaming experience.

What Are Companion Pets?

Sidekicks are essentially like Pokémon, but having a few drawbacks. You can name them, and they will follow you during a game. These sidekicks are indestructible, and you can interact with them. Opposing players outside the player's squad are unable to view sidekicks — and displaying your animal friends is perhaps half the fun of having them. Pets can be customized with costumes and gestures, however the debate revolves around their looks. A sidekick's main design can only be changed once, after which that selection becomes final. Players can choose a companion's coat color, secondary colors, iris tones, pattern, and their body type.

A Costly Personalization System

If a player afterward decide that they'd like their pet to appear a bit altered, you cannot just further customize the appearance. Players must buy a new companion. And, these pets are not cheap. The majority of players are obtaining the banana-themed pet, since it is packaged with the current reward track. Based on unofficial reports, upcoming sidekicks may be priced at anywhere between 1,000 to 1,500 V-Bucks; to put that in perspective, 1,000 V-Bucks is priced at $8.99 and 2,800 V-Bucks cost $22.99. However, players can change the name of a sidekick whenever you'd like.

Community Response and Comparisons

Most pets haven't been formally launched so far, meaning the pricing could well change. But regardless of whether the company sets companions cheaper, a lot of the anger comes from the fact that gamers could need to spend for a single kind of pet multiple times. To certain players, the cost structure seems especially egregious considering the game has already added companions that ride around inside back blings. Back bling companions lack a restriction on changes and are visible by other participants in the match. Back bling pets cannot be given a name or perform emotes, but opposing gamers are able to sometimes interact with them — and this is better than being invisible altogether.

The absence of unique functions and restricted interaction options have numerous players experiencing underwhelmed. For instance, why is it not possible to you, such as, interact playfully with their stylish fruit-themed pet? A few point out that sidekicks sometimes fail to keep up with the user if a game is fast-paced, or mention that the banana pet occupies two spots in the battle pass — and this reinforces the idea that the company is squeezing the community for revenue. Greedy is a term that's appearing often in such conversations, with a number of likening pet pricing to similar aggressive monetization models in games like EA Sports FC. It also doesn't help that some pets are expected to be more expensive than equivalent outfit versions.

"We urge you to do not buy Companion Pets," pleads a popular community post that encourages fellow gamers to proverbially express disapproval by not spending.

"We understand they're cute," the thread adds, "we realize they're fun. I know everyone has been looking forward to them. But the monetization focus being shown is unacceptable and should not be rewarded."

A Broader Picture of In-Game Purchases

Over the past few years, Fortnite's special occasions and partnerships have expanded in scale and aspiration, yet the no-cost-to-start title continues to must generate income. As such, the sheer number of cosmetics users can currently buy has grown nearly overwhelming. In addition to standard items like back accessories, gliders, harvesting tools, and emotes, players might possibly use money on shoes, songs, musical tools, Lego pieces, vehicles, tires, custom paint jobs, battle passes, and a subscription. Sidekicks not only cost payment, but also introduce a host of new revenue options for the company. Presumably, players will soon be in a position to pay for things like sidekick appearances, outfits, gestures, and additional engagement features.

All of such cosmetics are entirely optional and not necessary to enjoy the experience, but gear can still affect your social experience. Kids, for instance, sometimes encounter bullying for using impressive enough skins. A similar situation also occurred when the company launched brand-name kicks, which may be priced from 600 to 1,000 V-Bucks. That footwear pricing scheme was not popular as well, and some players promised that they'd avoid succumb to the temptation at the time. However ultimately, purchasing footwear grew commonplace. Now, sidekicks are additionally testing the limits of how much a player might be willing to spend to stand out amongst the crowd.

What is Next for Sidekicks?

Sidekicks are still a fairly recent feature, and they're part of a title that changes frequently. Some fans are reporting that they've received a survey that assesses how people think about sidekick mechanics and pricing, which could possibly indicate that the company's plans are still fluid. But if the game shoes are any indication, companions likely will not become cheaper overall — there will just be a wider selection of prices to choose from.

After all, while certain individuals are expressing anger at the game item costs, others are feeling nothing but joy for their competitive pals.