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A number of battle royale enthusiasts are experiencing let down, and this isn't because of recent in-game happenings. The game's current limited-time event, that brings a Simpsons-themed map, also rolled out a brand-new mechanic known as pets. There's no deny that these latest companions are adorable. But, the associated prices have made numerous players stunned at this company's efforts to monetize almost each aspect of the game.

Understanding Companion Pets?

Companions are basically like Pokémon, though having a few limitations. You can give them a name, and these pets will accompany you during a game. These sidekicks are immortal, and you can interact with them. Other gamers outside your party cannot view sidekicks — and displaying one's animal friends is perhaps a big part of the enjoyment of owning them. Pets are able to be customized with costumes and gestures, but the controversy centers on their looks. A sidekick's overall appearance is only able to be altered one time, at which point that choice is final. You can choose a sidekick's coat color, accent hues, eye colors, pattern, and its body type.

A Expensive Personalization Mechanism

Should a player later decide that they'd like their pet to look slightly altered, it's not possible to just continue to modify its look. Players must buy another companion. Furthermore, sidekicks aren't inexpensive. The majority of players are obtaining the banana-themed pet, since it's included with this season's reward track. Based on unofficial reports, upcoming sidekicks could cost anywhere between 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 change the name of a companion as many times as they want.

Community Reaction and Parallels

The majority of pets haven't been officially launched so far, so the cost could well change. Yet regardless of whether the company sets companions more affordable, a lot of the anger stems from the fact that gamers might need to spend for a one kind of sidekick more than once. For some, the pricing scheme feels particularly egregious considering the developer has already added pets that ride around as part of back blings. Back bling companions do not have a customization limitation and can be seen by fellow players in the game. Back bling pets can't be given a name or use emotes, but opposing players are able to occasionally engage with them — and this is more favorable than remaining invisible completely.

The absence of unique features and limited interaction choices have many players feeling disappointed. For instance, why is it not possible to a player, for example, play fetch with your fancy banana dog? Some point out that companions sometimes fail to stay close with the user if a game is fast-paced, or mention that Peels takes up two spots in the battle pass — which reinforces the idea that the developer is squeezing players for money. Greedy is a word that's appearing frequently in such conversations, with some comparing sidekick monetization to other aggressive pricing schemes in titles like popular sports games. Additionally, it doesn't help that certain sidekicks are expected to be more expensive than equivalent outfit counterparts.

"PLEASE avoid buy Companion Pets," urges one highly-voted community thread that encourages fellow gamers to figuratively vote with their wallets.

"We understand they're cute," the thread adds, "we realize they are fun. We are aware we have all been looking forward to them. However the greed being shown is unacceptable and should not be rewarded."

A Bigger Picture of In-Game Purchases

Over the past few years, Fortnite's special occasions and partnerships have grown in scale and ambition, but the free-to-play game continues to must earn income. As such, the sheer quantity of cosmetics users can now purchase has become almost excessive. Beyond standard items like back accessories, deployment tools, harvesting tools, and gestures, you could possibly spend cash on shoes, songs, musical tools, Lego pieces, cars, tires, custom paint jobs, seasonal rewards, and a subscription. Companion pets do not just require money, and also bring in a host of new monetization options for the developer. Presumably, users will before long be able to pay for things like sidekick appearances, costumes, emotes, and further interaction options.

All of these customization items are completely voluntary and unneeded to enjoy the experience, yet gear can still influence a player's social interactions. Kids, for instance, sometimes face bullying for not wearing flashy sufficiently cool outfits. A comparable issue previously transpired when the company launched licensed shoes, which can range from 600 to 1,000 V-Bucks. That shoe pricing scheme was not well received either, and a few players promised that they wouldn't succumb to the pressure back then. But ultimately, purchasing footwear became commonplace. Today, companion pets are further testing the boundaries of what a gamer could be prepared to pay to stand out within the crowd.

What's Ahead for Companion Pets?

Pets are still a fairly recent feature, and they're part of a title that changes regularly. A few players are sharing that they've received a survey that assesses how the community feel about pet mechanics and pricing, which could potentially indicate that the company's plans are still subject to change. Yet if Fortnite footwear are any indication, sidekicks likely won't get more affordable overall — instead, there may be a wider range of costs to choose from.

After all, where some players are raging at the game shop prices, others are experiencing nothing but joy for their competitive friends.