🔗 Share this article

A number of battle royale enthusiasts are feeling let down, and it's not because of recent virtual events. The game's current mini-season, that brings a Simpsons-themed map, has also rolled out a brand-new feature called pets. It's impossible to deny that the new pets are adorable. But, the associated costs have left numerous fans shocked at this developer's attempts to monetize almost each aspect of the gaming experience.

Understanding Companion Pets?

Sidekicks are essentially similar to digital creatures, though with a few drawbacks. Players can give them a name, and they will follow your character during a match. They are immortal, and players can interact with them. Other gamers not in your squad are unable to view these pets — and displaying your companions is arguably half the fun of owning them. Sidekicks can be customized with outfits and gestures, however the controversy revolves around their appearance. A sidekick's overall design is only able to be altered once, after which that choice is final. You can select a sidekick's coat color, secondary colors, iris tones, pattern, and their build size.

A Expensive Personalization Mechanism

Should you afterward decide that you want their sidekick to look a bit different, you cannot just continue to modify its look. Players must buy another companion. And, these pets are not cheap. Most people are getting the banana-themed pet, since it's packaged with this season's reward track. According to leaks, future sidekicks may be priced at anywhere between 1,000 to 1,500 V-Bucks; for reference, 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 whenever they want.

Player Response and Comparisons

The majority of sidekicks have not been formally released so far, so the cost could easily change. But regardless of whether the company makes companions more affordable, much of the frustration stems from the reality that players might have to pay for a one kind of sidekick more than once. For some, the cost structure seems especially unfair when the game has already added companions that are carried about inside backpack accessories. Backpack companions do not have a customization limitation and can be seen by other players in the match. Backpack buddies cannot be named or use gestures, but opposing gamers can sometimes interact with them — and this is more favorable than being unseen altogether.

The absence of special features and limited engagement options have numerous players experiencing underwhelmed. Why can't you, such as, play fetch with their stylish fruit-themed pet? Some point out that sidekicks do not always keep up with the user if a match is moving quickly, or mention that the banana pet takes up two slots in the reward system — and this reinforces the idea that the developer is squeezing players for money. Greedy is a word that's coming up often in these conversations, with some comparing pet pricing to other aggressive monetization models in games like popular sports games. Additionally, it doesn't help that some sidekicks are expected to be pricier than their outfit versions.

"PLEASE do not buy Sidekicks," urges a highly-voted community post that advises other players to figuratively express disapproval by not spending.

"We understand they're cute," the thread adds, "I know they are fun. We are aware everyone has been anticipating them. But the greed being shown is unacceptable and must not be supported."

A Bigger Context of In-Game Spending

In recent years, Fortnite's special occasions and partnerships have expanded in scope and aspiration, but the free-to-play game continues to must generate revenue. Therefore, the sheer quantity of items users can now purchase has become almost excessive. Beyond basics like back accessories, deployment tools, pickaxes, and emotes, you could potentially spend cash on shoes, music tracks, musical tools, building blocks, vehicles, wheels, vehicle drift colors, battle passes, and a subscription. Sidekicks do not just cost payment, and also bring in a range of fresh revenue options for the developer. It is likely, users will soon be in a position to pay for items like pet appearances, costumes, gestures, and additional engagement options.

Every one of such cosmetics are completely voluntary and not necessary to have fun with the game, but gear can nonetheless affect a player's community experience. Younger players, for instance, sometimes face teasing for using impressive sufficiently cool outfits. A comparable issue also transpired when the company introduced brand-name shoes, which can range from 600 to 1,000 V-Bucks. The footwear cost model wasn't popular as well, and some fans vowed that they'd avoid fall prey to the temptation at the time. However ultimately, purchasing shoes became normalized. Today, companion pets are further testing the boundaries of how much a gamer could be prepared to pay to stand out within the crowd.

What's Ahead for Companion Pets?

Sidekicks are currently a fairly new feature, and they're part of a title that changes regularly. A few fans are sharing that they've gotten a survey that assesses how the community think about pet mechanics and pricing, which could potentially mean that the company's plans are still subject to change. Yet if Fortnite shoes are a sign, companions probably will not get cheaper overall — there will just be a wider range of costs to shop.

After all, where certain individuals are expressing anger at Fortnite shop prices, others are feeling nothing but happiness for their new battle royale friends.