My Fortnite locker, the name of the UI that houses all my cosmetic items, has become the video game equivalent of a junk drawer. Search my account and you’ll find the backpack version of the Ninken from Naruto, next to the rainbow weapon wrap I got from the Pride 2021 collection. The game has a submenu of emotes, wraps, cars, instruments, and Lego sets. It’s all too much and honestly I’m afraid the recent changes in Fortnite Epic Games’ subscription service ignores a straightforward truth: sometimes less is more.
Epic Games announced on Wednesday substantial change in Fortnite Crewa monthly subscription service that rewards players with the Battle Royale Battle Pass, V-Bucks, and other benefits. Starting December 1, Fortnite Crew subscribers will receive content from Music Pass and Lego Pass at no additional cost. So once the change goes live, players who subscribe will be able to progress and operate cosmetics in other games on the platform, such as Fortnite Festival and Lego Fortnite Battle Passes.
At first glance, it looks extremely pro-consumer – and in many respects it really is. This basically means giving people more items for free. If I subscribe and only want to play Battle Royale, I’ll still get a ton of other cosmetics from other games on Fortnite. In addition to this, Epic Games has also changed the way the Battle Pass works, so leveling up in one pass will unlock items in another. This way you don’t have to grind each game separately if you want to earn cosmetics from other battle passes.
Sounds great, but the announcement was accompanied by another announcement: the standard price of the Battle Royale Battle Pass (except for the Crew subscription) will be increased from 950 to 1,000 V-Bucks.
The price enhance does not significantly change the dollar amount you pay. You can purchase 1,000 V-Bucks for $8.99 in the in-game store. Besides, 50 V-Bucks is not an excessive amount and will not even be enough to purchase a low-level emote. However, if you’re a casual gamer, this amount can add up and even a measly 50 V-Bucks can be the difference between whether or not you’ll be able to purchase a specific skin in the store on a given day. (Which matters because who knows when your favorite cosmetic will return to Fortnite store because it turns items in and out!)
In my opinion, such incremental price increases only serve to enhance the value of the subscription service and allow players to justify their desire to purchase the full premium Fortnite subscription. It’s almost like the state-of-the-art video game equivalent of bundling cable or streaming services – you may not want it all, but since all the individual parts become so steep, it finally makes financial sense.
Moreover, these types of changes are about how Epic Games wants users to interact with its platform, not how most gamers actually do. At the time of publication, Lego Fornite has 24,600 dynamic users and Fortnite Festival has 8,500 players. For comparison, the unranked version of Battle Royale has over 542,000 players and Zero Build has 344,800 players. Instead of improving the Battle Pass for these games, Epic Games decided to enhance the price and stuff some unnecessary items into Fortnite Crew subscribers’ lockers.
As a Battle Royale player, I don’t want any more garbage. I want a clear pricing system when it comes to cosmetics. I want a fixed price for the Battle Pass. I want a locker and an emote wheel that I can organize. I don’t want to make leveling the battle pass harder and would like to be able to buy ancient skins. So while Fortnite’s crew change may seem fine on the surface, it certainly feels like the company is throwing a lot of garbage in my face.
