🔗 Share this article

A number of battle royale players are feeling let down, and it's not due to the latest in-game happenings. Fortnite's newest limited-time event, that introduces a Simpsons-themed world, has also rolled out a fresh mechanic called sidekicks. There's no ignore that these latest pets are cute. But, the attached prices have left many fans stunned at this company's attempts to profit from almost each part of the game.

What Are Sidekicks?

Sidekicks are essentially like Pokémon, though with a few drawbacks. Players can give them a name, and these pets will follow you throughout a match. They are immortal, and players can interact with them. Opposing players not in your squad cannot view these pets — and showing off your companions is perhaps half the fun of having them. Sidekicks are able to be customized with outfits and gestures, however the debate centers on their appearance. A pet's overall design is only able to be altered once, at which point that choice is permanent. Players can select a companion's fur shade, accent hues, eye colors, markings, and their build size.

A Expensive Customization Mechanism

If you afterward decide that they'd like your pet to appear a bit different, it's not possible to just continue to customize the look. Players must buy a new companion. Furthermore, these pets aren't inexpensive. The majority of players are getting the Peels sidekick, because it is included in this season's battle pass. According to leaks, upcoming pets may cost from 1,000 to 1,500 V-Bucks; to put that in perspective, 1,000 V-Bucks costs $8.99 and 2,800 V-Bucks are $22.99. However, players can change the name of a companion whenever they want.

Community Response and Comparisons

The majority of sidekicks haven't been officially launched yet, meaning the pricing could well be adjusted. But regardless of whether the company sets companions cheaper, much of the anger comes from the reality that gamers could need to pay for a single type of pet multiple times. For some, the pricing scheme seems especially egregious when the developer has previously added pets that ride around inside backpack accessories. Backpack companions do not have a restriction on changes and can be seen by other players in the match. Back bling buddies cannot be given a name or perform emotes, however opposing players can sometimes interact with them — which is better than being unseen altogether.

The absence of special features and limited interaction choices have numerous gamers feeling disappointed. Why can't a player, for example, interact playfully with your stylish banana dog? Some note that sidekicks sometimes fail to keep up with the user if a game is fast-paced, or mention that Peels occupies two slots in the battle pass — and this reinforces the idea that the company is squeezing players for money. Profit-driven is a term that's coming up often in such discussions, with some comparing sidekick pricing to other aggressive pricing schemes in titles like EA Sports FC. It also adds to the issue that certain sidekicks are projected to be more expensive than equivalent character skin counterparts.

"We urge you to do not buy Sidekicks," pleads one highly-voted community thread that encourages other players to proverbially vote with their wallets.

"I know they're cute," the post adds, "we realize they're fun. I know everyone has been looking forward to them. But the greed being shown is disgusting and must not be rewarded."

A Bigger Picture of Virtual Spending

Over the past few years, the game's events and partnerships have expanded in scale and aspiration, but the no-cost-to-start game still needs to generate revenue. As such, the sheer number of items users are able to now purchase has become almost overwhelming. In addition to basics like back accessories, gliders, harvesting tools, and gestures, players might possibly spend cash on footwear, music tracks, musical tools, Lego pieces, cars, wheels, custom paint jobs, battle passes, and a membership. Sidekicks not only cost money, and also bring in a host of fresh monetization options for the developer. It is likely, users will soon be in a position to pay for things like pet looks, costumes, emotes, and additional engagement features.

All of such customization items are entirely voluntary and not necessary to have fun with the experience, yet gear can still influence a player's community experience. Younger players, for example, sometimes encounter bullying for using flashy sufficiently cool skins. A comparable situation also occurred when the developer introduced brand-name shoes, which can range from 600 to 1,000 V-Bucks. That shoe cost model wasn't well received either, and a few fans promised that they wouldn't fall prey to the pressure back then. But in the end, buying shoes became normalized. Now, sidekicks are additionally testing the limits of how much a gamer could be prepared to spend to be distinctive within the crowd.

What's Next for Companion Pets?

Sidekicks are currently a fairly new addition, and they're part of a title that changes regularly. Some players are sharing that they have received a survey that assesses how people feel about sidekick functionality and pricing, which could possibly mean that the company's plans are still fluid. Yet if Fortnite footwear are a sign, sidekicks likely won't get more affordable in general — instead, there may be a broader range of prices to choose from.

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