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A number of battle royale players are experiencing disappointed, and it's not due to the latest in-game happenings. The game's newest mini-season, that brings a Springfield map, has also unveiled a fresh feature known as pets. It's impossible to ignore that the latest companions are adorable. However, the attached costs have left many fans stunned at this company's attempts to monetize almost every part of the gaming experience.

What Are Companion Pets?

Companions are essentially similar to digital creatures, but having some drawbacks. You can name them, and they will follow you during a match. These sidekicks are indestructible, and players can pet them. Other gamers not in your party are unable to view sidekicks — and showing off one's companions is arguably half the enjoyment of having them. Pets are able to be customized with outfits and emotes, however the controversy revolves around their appearance. A pet's overall appearance is only able to be changed once, at which point that choice is permanent. You can select a sidekick's coat color, accent hues, eye colors, markings, and their build size.

A Expensive Personalization Mechanism

Should a player afterward choose that they'd like your sidekick to appear slightly altered, you cannot just continue to modify the appearance. Players must purchase another companion. Furthermore, these pets are not inexpensive. Most players are getting the banana-themed pet, since it is included with the current battle pass. Based on unofficial reports, upcoming pets could be priced at anywhere between 1,000 to 1,500 V-Bucks; to put that in perspective, 1,000 V-Bucks costs $8.99 and 2,800 V-Bucks cost $22.99. You can change the name of a companion whenever they want.

Player Response and Parallels

The majority of sidekicks haven't been officially released yet, meaning the cost may easily change. But even if the developer makes sidekicks more affordable, much of the anger comes from the reality that gamers might have to spend for a one kind of sidekick multiple times. To certain players, the cost structure seems especially unfair when the game has previously added pets that are carried around inside backpack accessories. Back bling companions do not have a restriction on changes and are visible by fellow participants in the match. Backpack buddies cannot be named or use gestures, but opposing gamers are able to sometimes interact with them — which is more favorable than being invisible altogether.

Lack of special features and restricted engagement options have numerous players feeling disappointed. For instance, why is it not possible to you, for example, play fetch with their fancy banana dog? A few point out that sidekicks do not always keep up with the player if a match is fast-paced, or observe that the banana pet occupies two slots in the battle pass — and this reinforces the notion that the company is squeezing players for money. Greedy is a term that's coming up frequently in such discussions, with some likening sidekick monetization to other intense pricing schemes in titles like popular sports games. It also doesn't help that some sidekicks are expected to be more expensive than equivalent character skin versions.

"We urge you to do not purchasing Sidekicks," urges one highly-voted community thread that advises other gamers to proverbially vote with their wallets.

"I know these pets are adorable," the thread continues, "we realize they are enjoyable. I know everyone has been looking forward to them. But the greed being shown is unacceptable and must not be rewarded."

The Broader Picture of In-Game Purchases

Over the past few years, Fortnite's special occasions and partnerships have expanded in scope and aspiration, but the no-cost-to-start title continues to needs to generate revenue. As such, the total quantity of items players are able to currently buy has grown nearly overwhelming. In addition to standard items like back accessories, gliders, harvesting tools, and gestures, players might possibly spend money on shoes, songs, musical tools, building blocks, cars, tires, custom paint jobs, battle passes, and a subscription. Companion pets not only cost payment, and also introduce a host of fresh monetization avenues for the developer. Presumably, players will soon be able to spend for items like sidekick looks, outfits, emotes, and further engagement features.

Every one of such customization items are completely voluntary and unneeded to have fun with the experience, yet equipment can nonetheless influence your community interactions. Kids, for instance, at times encounter bullying for not wearing flashy enough outfits. A similar issue previously transpired when the company introduced brand-name shoes, which can range from 600 to 1,000 V-Bucks. The shoe pricing scheme wasn't popular as well, and some fans vowed that they wouldn't fall prey to the pressure back then. However in the end, buying footwear became normalized. Today, sidekicks are further testing the limits of what a gamer could be willing to pay to be distinctive within the crowd.

What's Ahead for Sidekicks?

Sidekicks are currently a relatively new addition, and they're part of a title that updates regularly. Some fans are sharing that they've received a survey that assesses how people think about pet functionality and monetization, and this might possibly indicate that the company's plans are still fluid. Yet if Fortnite footwear are any indication, sidekicks likely won't get more affordable in general — instead, there may be a wider selection of prices to shop.

Ultimately, while certain individuals are expressing anger at the game shop prices, others are experiencing nothing but happiness for their battle royale friends.