Fortnite’s 'price gouging' defence isn’t enough for angry gamers
Epic Games is in the firing line, and after removing rarities from its Fortnite skins, the developer has been called out for its response to 'price gouging'.
10th Apr 2024 16:03
Images via Epic Games
Fortnite’s 'price gouging' defence isn’t enough for angry gamers
Epic Games is in the firing line, and after removing rarities from its Fortnite skins, the developer has been called out for its response to 'price gouging'.
10th Apr 2024 16:03
Images via Epic Games
While Fortnite has been making bank since it first arrived on the scene, it's largely escaped the same complaints that other battle royale games like Warzone and Apex Legends have when it comes to selling skins.
Others get called out for everything from overpriced skins to pay-to-win debacles, all while Fortnite largely flies under the radar and continues to cash in on its pop culture crossovers. From Marvel to Ghostbusters, John Wick to Stranger Things, it's clear there's still an untapped well of potential.
Fortnite dismisses rarity complaints
Even recently, collaborations with Metal Gear, (more) Dragon Ball, Lady Gaga, and Avatar: The Last Airbender have had you shelling out your real-world money and V-Bucks. The Avatar collab has been caught in its own scandal, accused of price gouging as players no longer know how rare their skins are.
In a move that fans are less than pleased with, Epic Games has removed the rarity from all our skins. Where we could previously see whether our skins were common through to Mythic, they're now all lumped in one pot. Typically, the rarer the skin, the more impressive it looks and the more expensive it is.
Responding to the controversy, the official Fortnite account claimed that the removal of rarities was to simplify the appearance of the shop and "remove outdated Battle Royale-inspired systems." This was quickly slapped with a Community Note saying the previous way of doing things wasn't 'outdated'.
Fortnite fans accuse Epic of 'price gouging'
This has been called out as corporate greed, with the Fortnite team facing the type of backlash that the Warzone devs are used to. Even the likes of Fortnite leaker Shiina have waded into the battle, criticising Epic for its complicated locker UI.
Beyond that, there are angrier complaints about price gouging, being able to charge 2,000 V-Bucks for a skin that used to cost 800. Someone raged, "In no universe are the Avatar skins worth 2000 V-Bucks EACH. GOKU was worthy of 2000. Multiple skin styles and a transform emote to cycle through them. No more V-Bucks for me until the price gouging stops."
Another disgruntled gamer grumbled, "I really don't see how this is anything but price gouging. Removing color from your locker isn't simplifying anything and I'm not really sure where they got that idea? This feels soulless, which is something that Fortnite seemed to always strive to avoid in the past."
The most vocal have called for boycotts and branded it a 'disgusting' tactic. Given how Epic is usually so willing to listen to its players, it'll be interesting to see if it does a U-turn on this one. Whether actually trying to smarten up the UI or an underhand way to make money, the team has dropped the ball on this.
About The Author
Tom Chapman
Tom is Trending News Editor at GGRecon, with an NCTJ qualification in Broadcast Journalism and over seven years of experience writing about film, gaming, and television. With bylines at IGN, Digital Spy, Den of Geek, and more, Tom’s love of horror means he's well-versed in all things Resident Evil, with aspirations to be the next Chris Redfield.
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