Fortnite Community Express Displeasure Over New Sidekick Pets and Perceived Monetization Tactics

A number of battle royale players are feeling disappointed, and it's not because of the latest virtual events. Fortnite's newest mini-season, that introduces a Springfield map, also rolled out a fresh feature known as sidekicks. There's no ignore that these new pets are cute. However, the attached costs have left many players stunned at the company's attempts to monetize nearly each part of the game.

What Are Companion Pets?

Companions are essentially like digital creatures, though with some drawbacks. You can name them, and these pets will accompany you during a match. They are indestructible, and you can interact with them. Opposing players outside your squad are unable to see sidekicks — and displaying your animal friends is arguably half the enjoyment of owning them. Pets can be outfitted with outfits and emotes, but the debate revolves around their looks. Each sidekick's overall appearance can only be altered once, at which point that selection becomes final. You can choose a sidekick's coat color, accent hues, eye colors, markings, and their build size.

A Costly Personalization System

If a player afterward decide that they'd like your sidekick to look a bit different, it's not possible to simply further modify the appearance. Players must purchase a new companion. Furthermore, these pets aren't cheap. The majority of players are getting the Peels sidekick, since it is included with the current reward track. Based on leaks, upcoming pets may cost from 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 companion as many times as they want.

Player Reaction and Comparisons

The majority of sidekicks have not been officially released so far, so the cost may well be adjusted. But even if the company makes companions more affordable, much of the anger comes from the fact that gamers could need to pay for a one type of sidekick more than once. For some, the pricing scheme seems particularly egregious considering the developer has previously introduced pets that ride around as part of back blings. Backpack pets lack a restriction on changes and are visible by other players in the match. Backpack buddies cannot be given a name or use gestures, however opposing players can occasionally engage with them — and this is more favorable than remaining unseen altogether.

The absence of unique functions and restricted interaction options have numerous gamers experiencing underwhelmed. Why can't you, for example, interact playfully with their fancy banana dog? Some point out that sidekicks sometimes fail to keep up with the player if a match is moving quickly, or mention that Peels takes up two spots in the battle pass — and this supports the notion that the developer is pressuring the community for money. Greedy is a term that's coming up often in such discussions, with a number of likening sidekick pricing to other intense pricing schemes in games like EA Sports FC. Additionally, it adds to the issue that some pets are expected to be pricier than their character skin versions.

"PLEASE avoid buy Companion Pets," pleads one popular online thread that advises other gamers to proverbially express disapproval by not spending.

"We understand they're adorable," the thread continues, "we realize they are fun. I know everyone has been looking forward to them. However the monetization focus on display is disgusting and should not be supported."

A Bigger Context of Virtual Spending

In recent years, Fortnite's special occasions and partnerships have grown in scope and aspiration, but the free-to-play title still must earn income. Therefore, the sheer quantity of cosmetics users are able to now buy has grown nearly overwhelming. In addition to standard items like back accessories, gliders, pickaxes, and emotes, you could potentially use money on shoes, songs, musical tools, building blocks, cars, tires, custom paint jobs, battle passes, and a subscription. Companion pets not only require money, but also bring in a range of fresh revenue avenues for the developer. It is likely, users will before long be able to spend for things like pet looks, costumes, emotes, and further engagement options.

All of such customization items are completely voluntary and unneeded to enjoy the experience, but gear can nonetheless affect a player's community interactions. Kids, for instance, at times face teasing for using impressive sufficiently cool skins. A comparable issue previously transpired when the company launched licensed kicks, which can range from 600 to 1,000 V-Bucks. The shoe pricing scheme was not popular as well, and some players promised that they'd avoid fall prey to the temptation at the time. But ultimately, buying footwear grew commonplace. Now, sidekicks are further pushing the boundaries of how much a gamer could be willing to spend to stand out within the crowd.

What is Ahead for Companion Pets?

Sidekicks are currently a relatively new feature, and they exist a game that changes regularly. A few players are reporting that they have received a questionnaire that assesses how the community feel about pet functionality and pricing, and this might potentially indicate that the developer's plans are still subject to change. Yet if the game footwear are any indication, companions probably will not get more affordable overall — instead, there may be a broader selection of costs to choose from.

After all, where some individuals are expressing anger at Fortnite shop prices, different players are feeling nothing but joy for their competitive friends.