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Some Fortnite players are experiencing let down, and this isn't due to recent virtual events. Fortnite's newest limited-time event, that introduces a Simpsons-themed world, also unveiled a brand-new feature called sidekicks. There's no ignore that these latest pets are adorable. But, the attached prices have made many players stunned at the company's efforts to monetize nearly each aspect of the gaming experience.

Understanding Sidekicks?

Sidekicks are essentially like digital creatures, though with a few limitations. Players can give them a name, and they will follow your character throughout a match. They are immortal, and you can pet them. Other gamers not in your party are unable to view sidekicks — and showing off your animal friends is arguably a big part of the fun of having them. Pets are able to be outfitted with outfits and emotes, but the controversy revolves around their looks. Each pet's main appearance can only be altered one time, at which point that choice is permanent. Players can select a sidekick's coat color, accent hues, iris tones, pattern, and its build size.

A Costly Customization System

If a player afterward decide that you want their sidekick to look slightly different, you cannot just continue to customize its look. Players must buy a new companion. Furthermore, sidekicks aren't cheap. The majority of players are obtaining the Peels pet, because it is included with the current reward track. Based on leaks, future sidekicks may cost from 1,000 to 1,500 V-Bucks; for reference, 1,000 V-Bucks costs $8.99 and 2,800 V-Bucks cost $22.99. You can rename a companion whenever they want.

Community Response and Comparisons

Most pets have not been formally released yet, so the pricing may well change. Yet even if the company makes companions cheaper, a lot of the frustration stems from the fact that players could need to spend for a single kind of pet more than once. To certain players, the pricing scheme seems especially egregious considering the game has already introduced pets that are carried about as part of backpack accessories. Back bling pets do not have a customization limitation and can be seen by fellow participants in the game. Back bling buddies can't be named or use gestures, but other players are able to sometimes engage with them — which is more favorable than being invisible altogether.

Lack of special functions and restricted engagement options have many players feeling underwhelmed. Why can't you, for example, play fetch with your stylish banana dog? Some point out that sidekicks sometimes fail to keep up with the player if a game is moving quickly, or observe that Peels occupies two spots in the battle pass — and this supports the notion that the developer is pressuring the community for revenue. Profit-driven is a term that's coming up often in such discussions, with a number of likening pet monetization to other intense monetization models in games like EA Sports FC. Additionally, it adds to the issue that certain sidekicks are expected to be pricier than equivalent outfit versions.

"We urge you to do not buy Companion Pets," urges one popular community post that encourages fellow gamers to proverbially vote with their wallets.

"I know they're cute," the post adds, "I know they're fun. I know we have all been anticipating them. However the monetization focus on display is disgusting and should not be supported."

A Broader Picture of In-Game Spending

Over the past few years, Fortnite's special occasions and collaborations have grown in scale and aspiration, but the free-to-play game still must earn revenue. As such, the total number of cosmetics players can now purchase has grown almost excessive. Beyond standard items like back blings, gliders, pickaxes, and emotes, you could potentially use cash on shoes, music tracks, musical tools, building blocks, cars, wheels, vehicle drift colors, seasonal rewards, and a membership. Companion pets not only cost money, and also bring in a range of fresh revenue avenues for the developer. Presumably, players will soon be in a position to spend for items like sidekick appearances, outfits, emotes, and additional interaction features.

All of these customization items are entirely voluntary and unneeded to have fun with the game, yet gear can still affect your social experience. Younger players, for example, sometimes encounter bullying for using impressive enough skins. A similar situation also occurred when the developer introduced brand-name kicks, which can range from 600 to 1,000 V-Bucks. That footwear cost model wasn't popular either, and some players promised that they wouldn't fall prey to the pressure at the time. But ultimately, purchasing footwear grew normalized. Now, companion pets are further testing the boundaries of how much a player could be prepared to spend to stand out amongst the crowd.

What's Next for Companion Pets?

Sidekicks are still a fairly recent feature, and they exist a game that changes regularly. Some players are sharing that they've received a questionnaire that assesses how the community think about sidekick mechanics and monetization, which could possibly mean that the developer's plans are still fluid. Yet if Fortnite footwear are any indication, companions likely will not get cheaper overall — instead, there may be a wider range of costs to choose from.

Ultimately, where some individuals are raging at Fortnite item costs, others are feeling nothing but joy for their battle royale pals.