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Some Fortnite players are experiencing let down, and it's not because of recent in-game events. Fortnite's current mini-season, which introduces a Springfield world, also rolled out a fresh feature called pets. It's impossible to deny that the new companions are adorable. However, the attached prices have made numerous players stunned at the company's efforts to monetize almost every part of the gaming experience.

What Are Companion Pets?

Companions are basically similar to digital creatures, though with some drawbacks. You can name them, and they will accompany you throughout a game. These sidekicks are immortal, and players can pet them. Opposing players outside your party are unable to view sidekicks — and displaying one's animal friends is perhaps a big part of the enjoyment of having them. Sidekicks are able to be outfitted with costumes and emotes, however the debate centers on their appearance. A pet's main appearance is only able to be altered one time, after which that choice is final. Players can select a sidekick's fur shade, accent hues, eye colors, pattern, and their body type.

A Expensive Personalization System

Should a player later choose that you want your sidekick to appear slightly altered, it's not possible to simply continue to modify its look. You have to buy a new companion. Furthermore, sidekicks aren't inexpensive. Most players are obtaining the banana-themed pet, since it is included in this season's battle pass. According to unofficial reports, upcoming pets may cost anywhere between 1,000 to 1,500 V-Bucks; for reference, 1,000 V-Bucks costs $8.99 and 2,800 V-Bucks cost $22.99. You can rename a sidekick whenever you'd like.

Player Reaction and Parallels

The majority of sidekicks haven't been formally launched so far, so the cost could easily change. Yet regardless of whether the developer sets companions more affordable, a lot of the anger stems from the fact that players might need to spend for a single type of sidekick multiple times. To certain players, the pricing scheme feels particularly egregious considering the developer has previously added pets that ride around as part of back blings. Back bling companions do not have a customization limitation and are visible by other participants in the game. Back bling pets cannot be named or perform emotes, but opposing gamers can occasionally engage with them — and this is more favorable than remaining invisible completely.

The absence of special features and restricted engagement choices have numerous players experiencing disappointed. Why can't a player, such as, play fetch with your stylish banana dog? A few point out that companions sometimes fail to stay close with the user if a game is fast-paced, or mention that Peels takes up two spots in the battle pass — and this supports the idea that the company is squeezing players for revenue. Profit-driven is a term that's coming up frequently in such discussions, with a number of comparing sidekick pricing to other aggressive pricing schemes in titles like EA Sports FC. It also adds to the issue that some sidekicks are expected to be pricier than their outfit versions.

"We urge you to do not purchasing Companion Pets," pleads a highly-voted community post that advises other players to proverbially vote with their wallets.

"I know they're cute," the thread continues, "I know they are fun. I know everyone has been anticipating them. However the greed on display is disgusting and must not be rewarded."

A Broader Context of In-Game Spending

In recent years, Fortnite's events and partnerships have expanded in scale and ambition, but the free-to-play title still needs to generate income. Therefore, the sheer number of items users can now purchase has become nearly overwhelming. In addition to basics like back blings, gliders, harvesting tools, and emotes, players might possibly use money on footwear, music tracks, instruments, Lego pieces, cars, wheels, custom paint jobs, battle passes, and a subscription. Sidekicks do not just cost money, and also introduce a range of fresh monetization avenues for the developer. It is likely, players will soon be able to pay for items like sidekick appearances, outfits, emotes, and further engagement options.

All of these customization items are completely voluntary and unneeded to have fun with the experience, but gear can still influence your community experience. Kids, for instance, at times face teasing for using flashy enough outfits. A comparable issue also occurred when the developer introduced brand-name kicks, which can range from 600 to 1,000 V-Bucks. That shoe pricing scheme was not popular as well, and a few players promised that they wouldn't succumb to the pressure at the time. But ultimately, purchasing footwear grew normalized. Now, companion pets are additionally pushing the limits of how much a gamer might be prepared to pay to stand out amongst the player base.

What's Ahead for Sidekicks?

Pets are still a fairly recent addition, and they exist a game that changes regularly. A few fans are reporting that they've gotten a questionnaire that gauges how the community think about pet mechanics and monetization, and this might possibly mean that the developer's strategy are still fluid. But if Fortnite shoes are a sign, companions probably will not get more affordable in general — instead, there may be a broader range of prices to shop.

Ultimately, where certain individuals are raging at Fortnite shop prices, others are experiencing only joy for their new competitive pals.