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Some battle royale players are feeling let down, and it's not due to the latest in-game happenings. The game's current mini-season, which introduces a Simpsons-themed map, has also rolled out a brand-new feature known as pets. It's impossible to deny that these new pets are cute. But, the associated prices have made numerous players stunned at this company's attempts to profit from nearly each aspect of the gaming experience.

Understanding Sidekicks?

Sidekicks are basically like Pokémon, but having some drawbacks. Players can name them, and these pets will follow your character during a match. They are indestructible, and players can pet them. Opposing players outside the player's party cannot view sidekicks — and displaying one's animal friends is arguably half the fun of owning them. Pets are able to be outfitted with outfits and emotes, but the debate centers on their appearance. Each pet's overall design is only able to be changed once, after which that choice becomes final. You can choose a companion's fur shade, secondary colors, iris tones, markings, and its body type.

The Costly Customization Mechanism

Should a player later choose that they'd like your pet to look a bit different, it's not possible to just further modify its appearance. Players must purchase another companion. And, these pets are not inexpensive. Most people are getting the Peels pet, because it is packaged in the current reward track. According to unofficial reports, future sidekicks could be priced at 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. However, players can change the name of a sidekick as many times as you'd like.

Community Reaction and Parallels

The majority of pets have not been formally launched yet, so the cost could easily change. But even if the company makes sidekicks cheaper, a lot of the anger comes from the reality that players could need to spend for a single type of sidekick multiple times. For some, the cost structure feels particularly egregious considering the developer has previously added pets that are carried about inside backpack accessories. Back bling pets do not have a restriction on changes and are visible by other participants in the match. Backpack buddies can't be named or use emotes, but other players can sometimes interact with them — which is better than being unseen completely.

The absence of unique functions and limited interaction options have numerous players experiencing disappointed. Why can't a player, such as, play fetch with their fancy banana dog? Some point out that companions sometimes fail to keep up with the player if a match is moving quickly, or mention that Peels takes up two slots in the battle pass — which reinforces the idea that the company is pressuring the community for revenue. Greedy is a word that's coming up frequently in these discussions, with a number of comparing pet monetization to other intense pricing schemes in games like popular sports games. It also doesn't help that certain sidekicks are projected to be pricier than their outfit counterparts.

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

"I know they're cute," the thread continues, "I know they're fun. I know we have all been looking forward to them. But the greed on display is disgusting and must not be rewarded."

A Broader Picture of Virtual Purchases

In recent years, Fortnite's special occasions and partnerships have grown in scale and ambition, but the no-cost-to-start game continues to needs to earn income. Therefore, the total quantity of cosmetics players can now buy has grown almost excessive. Beyond standard items like back accessories, deployment tools, pickaxes, and emotes, you could possibly spend money on footwear, music tracks, musical tools, building blocks, vehicles, tires, custom paint jobs, battle passes, and a membership. Companion pets not only cost money, but also bring in a range of new monetization options for the company. Presumably, users will soon be able to pay for things like sidekick looks, costumes, emotes, and additional interaction features.

All of these cosmetics are completely voluntary and unneeded to have fun with the game, yet equipment can still influence your community experience. Younger players, for instance, at times encounter teasing for not wearing flashy enough skins. A similar issue previously transpired when the developer launched licensed kicks, which can range from 600 to 1,000 V-Bucks. The footwear cost model wasn't well received as well, and a few fans promised that they wouldn't succumb to the pressure at the time. However in the end, purchasing shoes became normalized. Today, companion pets are further testing the limits of how much a gamer might be willing to spend to stand out within the player base.

What is Ahead for Companion Pets?

Pets are currently a fairly recent feature, and they exist a title that updates regularly. Some players are reporting that they've received a survey that gauges how people think about pet functionality and pricing, and this might potentially indicate that the developer's plans are still fluid. But if Fortnite shoes are any indication, sidekicks likely won't get more affordable in general — instead, there may be a broader range of costs to choose from.

Ultimately, while some individuals are expressing anger at Fortnite shop prices, others are experiencing nothing but happiness for their battle royale pals.