With the introduction of three entire new experiences – LEGO Fortnite, Rocket Racing, and Fortnite Festival – Epic’s unstoppable “everything” game Fortnite has taken a huge stride closer to becoming its own platform. But with so much new content available, the developer has to find ways to monetise it – and the latest microtransactions are attracting criticism for their obscene prices.
Perhaps chief among the backlash is the cost of the Rocket Racing vehicles, which weigh in at up to 4,000 V-Bucks apiece. Now to be fair, these include different liveries and are available in Rocket League as well, but you’re looking at a real-money investment of up to £27.99/$36.99 for one car here, although you will have about 1,000 V-Bucks leftover from your purchase.
Meanwhile, one song in Fortnite Festival will set you back about 500 V-Bucks, so you’re looking at a purchase of about £6.99/$8.99 for two (or approximately £3.50/$4.50 apiece). Elsewhere, new instrument skins, like drum kits and guitars, cost about 1,000 V-Bucks each, so an expense of £6.99/$8.99. Obviously, this is a lot of money.
Even the Festival Pass, which is a separate Battle Pass specifically for the music mode, costs 1,800 V-Bucks, which is almost double the cost of the main Battle Royale track. Perhaps the only positive here is that 1,200 skins have been converted to LEGO Fortnite for free, so you don’t have to invest extra money into that mode.
It’s clear that Epic is testing the waters here to see what it can get away with. Obviously, Fortnite is a gigantic game now, and you can experience virtually everything it has to offer without dipping into your wallet once. In that sense, it’s an incredibly generous experience. But if you do want some of the more premium cosmetics, it looks like it’s going to cost you.
Laura Adams is a tech enthusiast residing in the UK. Her articles cover the latest technological innovations, from AI to consumer gadgets, providing readers with a glimpse into the future of technology.
