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A number of Fortnite enthusiasts are experiencing let down, and this isn't because of recent virtual events. The game's current mini-season, that brings a Simpsons-themed world, has also unveiled a fresh feature called pets. It's impossible to ignore that these latest pets are adorable. However, the attached prices have made many players stunned at the developer's efforts to monetize nearly each aspect of the gaming experience.

Understanding Sidekicks?

Sidekicks are essentially similar to Pokémon, but having some limitations. You can give them a name, and they will follow you throughout a match. These sidekicks are indestructible, and players can interact with them. Opposing gamers not in your party cannot see sidekicks — and displaying one's companions is perhaps half the enjoyment of owning them. Sidekicks can be outfitted with outfits and gestures, but the controversy revolves around their appearance. Each sidekick's overall appearance is only able to be altered once, after which that selection is final. You can choose a companion's fur shade, accent hues, eye colors, markings, and its build size.

The Expensive Personalization Mechanism

If you later decide that you want your sidekick to look slightly altered, you cannot simply further customize the look. You have to buy a new companion. Furthermore, these pets are not cheap. Most people are getting the Peels pet, since it is included in this season's battle pass. According to leaks, future 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. You can rename a sidekick whenever they want.

Community Reaction and Parallels

Most sidekicks have not been officially released so far, so the pricing could well be adjusted. But regardless of whether the company sets companions cheaper, much of the frustration stems from the fact that gamers could need to pay for a single kind of pet more than once. To certain players, the cost structure feels particularly egregious when the game has already introduced pets that ride around as part of back blings. Backpack companions do not have a customization limitation and are visible by other participants in the game. Back bling pets cannot be given a name or use gestures, however opposing players can occasionally interact with them — which is more favorable than being unseen completely.

The absence of special functions and restricted engagement options have numerous gamers feeling underwhelmed. Why can't a player, such as, play fetch with their fancy banana dog? Some note that companions sometimes fail to keep up with the user if a match is moving quickly, or mention that Peels occupies two slots in the reward system — and this supports the idea that the company is squeezing players for money. Greedy is a word that's coming up often in these discussions, with a number of likening pet pricing to similar intense monetization models in titles like popular sports games. Additionally, it adds to the issue that some sidekicks are expected to be more expensive than their character skin counterparts.

"PLEASE do not buy Companion Pets," pleads one highly-voted community thread that advises other gamers to figuratively vote with their wallets.

"We understand they're cute," the thread adds, "we realize they are fun. We are aware everyone has been looking forward to them. But the monetization focus being shown is disgusting and should not be supported."

The Broader Context of In-Game Spending

Over the past few years, Fortnite's special occasions and partnerships have grown in scale and ambition, but the no-cost-to-start title still needs to earn revenue. Therefore, the sheer quantity of items users are able to now buy has grown nearly overwhelming. Beyond standard items like back accessories, gliders, pickaxes, and gestures, you could potentially spend cash on footwear, music tracks, musical tools, building blocks, cars, wheels, custom paint jobs, battle passes, and a membership. Companion pets not only cost money, and also bring in a host of new revenue options for the developer. It is likely, users will before long be able to pay for items like sidekick appearances, outfits, emotes, and additional engagement options.

Every one of these customization items are completely voluntary and unneeded to have fun with the experience, yet equipment can nonetheless affect a player's community experience. Younger players, for example, at times encounter teasing for not wearing impressive enough skins. A similar issue also occurred when the developer launched brand-name kicks, which can range from 600 to 1,000 V-Bucks. The footwear pricing scheme was not popular as well, and a few fans vowed that they'd avoid succumb to the temptation back then. However in the end, buying shoes became commonplace. Today, sidekicks are further pushing the boundaries of what a player could be prepared to spend to stand out amongst the player base.

What is Next for Companion Pets?

Sidekicks are currently a fairly recent feature, and they exist a game that updates frequently. A few players are reporting that they have received a survey that gauges how the community feel about sidekick functionality and pricing, and this might potentially indicate that the developer's strategy are still subject to change. But if the game footwear are a sign, sidekicks probably will not become cheaper in general — there will just be a wider range of costs to shop.

After all, while some players are raging at Fortnite shop prices, different players are feeling nothing but happiness for their competitive pals.