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Some Fortnite players are feeling disappointed, and it's not due to the latest in-game events. The game's newest limited-time event, which introduces a Springfield map, also unveiled a brand-new feature called pets. It's impossible to ignore that these new companions are adorable. However, the associated prices have made numerous players stunned at the company's attempts to monetize almost every part of the gaming experience.

What Are Sidekicks?

Sidekicks are essentially similar to digital creatures, but having a few drawbacks. Players can give them a name, and these pets will follow your character throughout a game. These sidekicks are immortal, and players can pet them. Other players not in your squad are unable to view these pets — and showing off your animal friends is perhaps a big part of the fun of owning them. Sidekicks are able to be customized with outfits and gestures, however the controversy revolves around their appearance. A sidekick's overall design is only able to be altered one time, at which point that choice becomes final. You can choose a companion's coat color, accent hues, iris tones, pattern, and its build size.

A Expensive Personalization System

If a player afterward choose that you want their pet to look a bit different, you cannot simply continue to modify the look. Players must purchase another companion. And, sidekicks aren't cheap. The majority of people are obtaining the banana-themed sidekick, since it is packaged with the current battle pass. Based on unofficial reports, future pets could cost anywhere between 1,000 to 1,500 V-Bucks; for reference, 1,000 V-Bucks costs $8.99 and 2,800 V-Bucks are $22.99. You can change the name of a companion as many times as you'd like.

Community Reaction and Parallels

The majority of pets have not been officially released so far, so the pricing could easily change. But even if the developer sets sidekicks cheaper, much of the anger stems from the fact that gamers could have to pay for a single type of pet more than once. To certain players, the pricing scheme feels especially egregious when the developer has previously added pets that ride around inside backpack accessories. Backpack pets do not have a customization limitation and are visible by other players in the match. Back bling pets cannot be named or use emotes, but opposing players can occasionally interact with them — and this is better than being unseen altogether.

Lack of special features and restricted interaction choices have numerous gamers feeling underwhelmed. For instance, why is it not possible to a player, for example, interact playfully with your fancy banana dog? Some point out that companions sometimes fail to stay close with the user if a match is moving quickly, or observe that the banana pet occupies two spots in the battle pass — and this reinforces the notion that the developer is pressuring the community for money. Greedy is a word that's appearing often in such conversations, with a number of comparing pet monetization to similar aggressive pricing schemes in titles like EA Sports FC. Additionally, it adds to the issue that some pets are projected to be pricier than equivalent character skin versions.

"We urge you to avoid purchasing Companion Pets," urges a highly-voted online thread that advises other players to figuratively express disapproval by not spending.

"We understand they're adorable," the post adds, "I know they are enjoyable. We are aware we have all been looking forward to them. However the monetization focus on display is disgusting and should not be supported."

The Broader Context of Virtual Purchases

Over the past few years, Fortnite's special occasions and collaborations have expanded in scale and aspiration, but the free-to-play title still must generate income. Therefore, the total quantity of cosmetics players can now purchase has grown nearly overwhelming. Beyond basics like back accessories, deployment tools, harvesting tools, and emotes, you could potentially spend money on footwear, songs, musical tools, Lego pieces, vehicles, wheels, vehicle drift colors, seasonal rewards, and a membership. Sidekicks do not just cost payment, and also introduce a range of new monetization options for the developer. Presumably, users will soon be in a position to spend for things like sidekick looks, costumes, gestures, and additional engagement options.

Every one of these customization items are entirely optional and unneeded to enjoy the experience, yet gear can still affect your community interactions. Kids, for example, at times face teasing for not wearing impressive enough skins. A comparable situation also occurred when the company introduced brand-name kicks, which can range from 600 to 1,000 V-Bucks. The footwear cost model was not popular as well, and a few fans promised that they'd avoid succumb to the temptation at the time. However ultimately, buying footwear became normalized. Now, sidekicks are additionally testing the limits of how much a gamer might be prepared to spend to stand out amongst the crowd.

What is Next for Sidekicks?

Pets are currently a fairly recent addition, and they're part of a title that updates regularly. Some players are sharing that they've received a survey that gauges how people feel about pet mechanics and monetization, and this might possibly mean that the company's plans are remain subject to change. Yet if Fortnite shoes are any indication, sidekicks probably will not become cheaper in general — there will just be a broader range of prices to shop.

Ultimately, while some players are expressing anger at Fortnite shop prices, different players are feeling nothing but happiness for their new battle royale friends.