Following the release of Fortnite's long-awaited Sidekicks, many players have come together to express their dissatisfaction with both the price and customization options of the new cosmetic type. Sidekicks have come to Fortnite alongside an extensive collaboration with the hit television show The Simpsons, which has ushered in a whole new map inspired by Springfield.
Epic Games recently announced that it would be bringing a new wave of pets to Fortnite, but this time they would be called Sidekicks. Previously, pets were only available as a cosmetic players could equip on their back. Sidekicks, however, can actually run alongside players and interact with the world around them. While these companions can be seen by your teammates, they are not visible to enemy players. The community initially seemed excited by the introduction of Sidekicks, but many players seem to have soured on the concept after learning more details.
Fortnite Players Feel Sidekicks Are Overpriced
In a recent post on Reddit, mabdog420 urged fellow players not to purchase Fortnite's Sidekicks when they come to the Item Shop. They pointed out that certain customization options, like fur color and body size, are permanent once purchased. Instead of allowing players to change these options on the fly, Epic Games has stated that fans will need to purchase the same pet multiple times to gain access to variants.
In another post, stupid_is_as_does called Epic Games greedy, as a recent leak claimed that Sidekicks could be priced as high as 1,500 V-Bucks. If true, this would mean Sidekicks could cost as much or more than many of the skins in the game. For instance, Fortnite's new Bart Simpson skin is available for 1,500 V-Bucks in the Item Shop. Many seem to feel it's a steep price to pay for a cosmetic that forces players to lock in certain customization options permanently.
Equal_Campaign_3602 even pointed out that the Sidekick in Fortnite's Simpsons battle pass, Peels, takes up two slots. While Epic Games likely did this to allow gamers to create two versions of the pet, Equal_Campaign_3602 stated that they see it as a wasted slot in the battle pass. One person even claimed that having Peels take up two slots could be Epic Games' way of conditioning players to accept the idea of acquiring a Sidekick multiple times.
This isn't the first time Fortnite has courted controversy with the release of a new cosmetic type, as the community had a similar reaction when Kicks were introduced in 2024. A lot of gamers were initially shocked by the price of Kicks, especially since they didn't come with customization options. Epic Games never responded to the community's request to lower the price of Kicks, leading some people to believe Sidekicks will suffer the same fate. Despite a few hiccups here and there, many people seem to be enjoying their time with the new Simpsons mini-season. With so much content to enjoy and Chapter 7 just around the corner, many fans are feeling optimistic about the future of Fortnite.
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 84 /100 Critics Rec: 94%
- Released
- September 26, 2017
- ESRB
- T for Teen - Diverse Content: Discretion Advised, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Epic Games
- Publisher(s)
- Epic Games
WHERE TO PLAY
