🔗 Share this article

A number of Fortnite enthusiasts are experiencing disappointed, and it's not due to the latest virtual happenings. Fortnite's current mini-season, which brings a Springfield map, has also unveiled a fresh mechanic known as pets. It's impossible to ignore that these new companions are adorable. However, the attached costs have left many fans stunned at this developer's attempts to monetize nearly every aspect of the gaming experience.

What Are Companion Pets?

Companions are essentially similar to Pokémon, though having some drawbacks. You can name them, and these pets will accompany you during a game. These sidekicks are immortal, and you can pet them. Other players outside your party are unable to see these pets — and displaying your animal friends is arguably half the fun of owning them. Sidekicks can be outfitted with outfits and gestures, but the debate revolves around their looks. A sidekick's main appearance can only be altered once, at which point that selection is final. You can select a companion's fur shade, accent hues, iris tones, pattern, and its build size.

A Expensive Personalization Mechanism

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. Players must buy another companion. Furthermore, these pets are not inexpensive. Most people are getting the banana-themed pet, because it is packaged in this season's reward track. According to leaks, upcoming pets may cost from 1,000 to 1,500 V-Bucks; for reference, 1,000 V-Bucks is priced at $8.99 and 2,800 V-Bucks are $22.99. However, players can change the name of a companion as many times as they want.

Community Reaction and Parallels

Most sidekicks haven't been officially released yet, so the pricing could easily be adjusted. Yet even if the company makes companions more affordable, much of the frustration comes from the reality that gamers might have to pay for a single kind of sidekick more than once. To certain players, the pricing scheme feels especially egregious when the developer has already introduced pets that ride around inside back blings. Backpack companions do not have a customization limitation and are visible by other players in the game. Backpack pets cannot be named or perform gestures, but other players can occasionally interact with them — which is more favorable than being unseen altogether.

The absence of unique features and restricted interaction choices have many gamers feeling underwhelmed. Why can't a player, such as, interact playfully with your stylish banana dog? Some note that sidekicks sometimes fail to stay close with the player if a game is moving quickly, or observe that the banana pet takes up two slots in the reward system — and this supports the notion that the developer is pressuring the community for money. Greedy is a word that's coming up frequently in these conversations, with a number of comparing pet monetization to similar intense pricing schemes in games like popular sports games. Additionally, it doesn't help that some sidekicks are expected to be more expensive than equivalent character skin counterparts.

"We urge you to avoid purchasing Companion Pets," pleads a highly-voted community post that advises other gamers to figuratively vote with their wallets.

"We understand these pets are cute," the post continues, "we realize they are fun. We are aware we have all been anticipating them. However the monetization focus being shown is disgusting and must not be supported."

The Bigger Picture of Virtual Purchases

In recent years, the game's special occasions and collaborations have expanded in scope and ambition, yet the no-cost-to-start game continues to must earn income. As such, the sheer number of cosmetics users are able to currently buy has become almost overwhelming. In addition to standard items like back accessories, deployment tools, pickaxes, and emotes, players might potentially spend cash on footwear, music tracks, instruments, Lego pieces, cars, tires, vehicle drift colors, battle passes, and a membership. Companion pets not only cost payment, but also introduce a host of new revenue avenues for the company. Presumably, players will before long be able to spend for things like pet appearances, outfits, emotes, and additional interaction features.

Every one of such cosmetics are completely optional and not necessary to enjoy the experience, yet gear can still affect your social experience. Kids, for example, sometimes face teasing for not wearing impressive sufficiently cool skins. A comparable situation also transpired when the company introduced brand-name kicks, which can range from 600 to 1,000 V-Bucks. The shoe cost model wasn't well received as well, and a few fans promised that they'd avoid succumb to the pressure back then. However ultimately, buying shoes became normalized. Today, companion pets are further pushing the boundaries of what a gamer could be willing to spend to stand out within the crowd.

What's Ahead for Sidekicks?

Sidekicks are currently a relatively recent feature, and they exist a title that updates frequently. A few fans are reporting that they have gotten a survey that gauges how the community think about pet functionality and pricing, and this might potentially indicate that the company's strategy are remain subject to change. But if the game footwear are a sign, companions probably won't become cheaper in general — there will just be a wider selection of prices to choose from.

After all, while some players are raging at the game shop prices, different players are experiencing nothing but joy for their new competitive friends.