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Some battle royale players are experiencing disappointed, and it's not because of recent in-game happenings. The game's newest limited-time event, which introduces a Springfield world, also rolled out a brand-new mechanic known as sidekicks. It's impossible to deny that these latest pets are adorable. However, the associated prices have left numerous fans stunned at this developer's efforts to monetize nearly each aspect of the gaming experience.

What Are Sidekicks?

Sidekicks are basically like Pokémon, but with some drawbacks. You can name them, and these pets will accompany your character throughout a match. They are indestructible, and players can interact with them. Other gamers not in your squad cannot see these pets — and displaying one's animal friends is arguably a big part of the fun of owning them. Sidekicks are able to be outfitted with outfits and emotes, however the debate revolves around their looks. A sidekick's main appearance can only be changed once, at which point that choice is final. Players can select a sidekick's fur shade, secondary colors, iris tones, pattern, and its body type.

A Costly Customization Mechanism

Should a player later choose that you want their sidekick to appear slightly altered, it's not possible to just further modify its appearance. Players must purchase a new companion. Furthermore, sidekicks aren't inexpensive. The majority of players are getting the banana-themed pet, since it's packaged in this season's reward track. According to unofficial reports, future sidekicks could be priced at anywhere between 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 change the name of a sidekick whenever you'd like.

Player Response and Parallels

The majority of sidekicks have not been officially launched so far, so the pricing could easily change. Yet regardless of whether the developer makes sidekicks cheaper, a lot of the frustration stems from the reality that gamers could need to pay for a one kind of pet more than once. For some, the pricing scheme seems particularly unfair considering the developer has previously added pets that are carried about as part of backpack accessories. Backpack companions lack a restriction on changes and can be seen by fellow participants in the match. Backpack buddies can't be given a name or use gestures, but opposing players are able to occasionally engage with them — and this is better than remaining invisible altogether.

Lack of special features and restricted interaction choices have numerous players experiencing underwhelmed. Why can't a player, for example, interact playfully with their fancy banana dog? A few note that companions sometimes fail to stay close with the user if a game is moving quickly, or observe that Peels occupies two slots in the reward system — which reinforces the idea that the developer is squeezing players for money. Profit-driven is a word that's coming up often in these conversations, with a number of likening sidekick monetization to other intense pricing schemes in titles like EA Sports FC. It also doesn't help that some pets are projected to be pricier than their character skin counterparts.

"PLEASE avoid buy Companion Pets," pleads a popular online thread that advises other players to figuratively vote with their wallets.

"We understand they're cute," the thread adds, "I know they are enjoyable. We are aware everyone has been anticipating them. But the greed being shown is unacceptable and should not be rewarded."

A Broader Context of In-Game Purchases

In recent years, Fortnite's events and collaborations have expanded in scope and ambition, yet the no-cost-to-start game continues to must generate income. Therefore, the total number of cosmetics users can currently purchase has grown almost overwhelming. In addition to standard items like back blings, deployment tools, pickaxes, and gestures, players might possibly use cash on footwear, songs, instruments, building blocks, cars, tires, custom paint jobs, battle passes, and a membership. Companion pets not only cost payment, and also introduce a range of new monetization options for the developer. Presumably, players will before long be able to spend for items like sidekick appearances, outfits, gestures, and additional interaction features.

Every one of such customization items are entirely optional and not necessary to have fun with the experience, yet gear can nonetheless influence your social interactions. Younger players, for instance, sometimes encounter teasing for using impressive enough skins. A similar situation also transpired when the developer launched brand-name kicks, which can range from 600 to 1,000 V-Bucks. The footwear pricing scheme wasn't well received either, and some fans vowed that they'd avoid fall prey to the pressure back then. However in the end, buying footwear became commonplace. Today, sidekicks are further pushing the limits of what a gamer could be willing to spend to stand out amongst the crowd.

What's Next for Sidekicks?

Pets are currently a relatively recent feature, and they're part of a game that updates regularly. Some players are sharing that they have received a questionnaire that assesses how people feel about pet functionality and monetization, which could potentially mean that the company's strategy are remain subject to change. But if Fortnite shoes are any indication, sidekicks likely will not get more affordable in general — instead, there may be a wider selection of prices to choose from.

Ultimately, where some players are raging at Fortnite shop prices, different players are feeling nothing but joy for their battle royale pals.