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Some battle royale players are feeling disappointed, and it's not because of the latest in-game happenings. The game's current limited-time event, that brings a Simpsons-themed map, has also rolled out a brand-new mechanic called sidekicks. It's impossible to ignore that the new pets are cute. However, the attached prices have left many fans shocked at this developer's attempts to monetize nearly each aspect of the gaming experience.

What Are Companion Pets?

Sidekicks are essentially like digital creatures, though with some drawbacks. Players can name them, and they will accompany you during a match. They are indestructible, and players can interact with them. Opposing gamers outside your party are unable to see these pets — and showing off one's animal friends is perhaps a big part of the enjoyment of owning them. Pets are able to be customized with outfits and emotes, however the debate revolves around their appearance. Each sidekick's overall design can only be altered once, at which point that choice is final. Players can select a companion's coat color, accent hues, eye colors, pattern, and its body type.

A Expensive Customization Mechanism

If a player later decide that you want your sidekick to look a bit altered, it's not possible to just further customize the look. Players must buy another sidekick. And, these pets aren't inexpensive. Most players are obtaining the banana-themed sidekick, since it is included in the current battle pass. Based on leaks, future sidekicks could be priced at from 1,000 to 1,500 V-Bucks; to put that in perspective, 1,000 V-Bucks costs $8.99 and 2,800 V-Bucks cost $22.99. However, players can rename a sidekick as many times as they want.

Player Reaction and Comparisons

The majority of pets have not been formally released yet, so the pricing could well be adjusted. Yet regardless of whether the company sets companions more affordable, much of the frustration stems from the reality that gamers might have to spend for a one kind of sidekick multiple times. For some, the cost structure seems particularly unfair considering the game has already added pets that are carried about inside backpack accessories. Back bling companions do not have a customization limitation and are visible by fellow players in the match. Back bling pets can't be named or perform gestures, but opposing players are able to occasionally interact with them — which is better than being invisible completely.

The absence of special functions and limited engagement options have numerous gamers feeling disappointed. Why can't a player, such as, play fetch with your fancy banana dog? A few note that companions sometimes fail to stay close with the user if a game is moving quickly, or mention that Peels occupies two slots in the battle pass — which supports the idea that the company is squeezing players for money. Greedy is a term that's appearing frequently in these conversations, with a number of comparing sidekick monetization to other aggressive pricing schemes in titles like popular sports games. It also adds to the issue that certain sidekicks are expected to be pricier than equivalent outfit counterparts.

"We urge you to avoid purchasing Sidekicks," urges one popular online post that encourages other players to figuratively vote with their wallets.

"I know they're cute," the thread adds, "I know they are enjoyable. I know we have all been anticipating them. However the greed being shown is unacceptable and should not be rewarded."

The Broader Context of In-Game Purchases

Over the past few years, the game's special occasions and partnerships have expanded in scope and aspiration, but the free-to-play title still needs to earn income. Therefore, the total number of items players can currently buy has grown almost overwhelming. In addition to basics like back blings, gliders, pickaxes, and emotes, you could potentially use money on footwear, songs, instruments, Lego pieces, cars, wheels, vehicle drift colors, battle passes, and a membership. Sidekicks do not just cost payment, and also bring in a host of new revenue options for the company. It is likely, users will before long be in a position to pay for items like sidekick appearances, costumes, gestures, and additional engagement features.

Every one of such customization items are completely optional and not necessary to have fun with the game, but gear can nonetheless influence a player's community interactions. Younger players, for instance, sometimes face teasing for not wearing flashy sufficiently cool skins. A comparable issue also transpired when the company launched brand-name shoes, which can range from 600 to 1,000 V-Bucks. That shoe cost model wasn't popular as well, and some fans promised that they'd avoid succumb to the pressure back then. However ultimately, buying footwear grew normalized. Now, sidekicks are further testing the limits of how much a gamer might be prepared to pay to stand out amongst the player base.

What's Ahead for Companion Pets?

Pets are currently a fairly new feature, and they're part of a game that updates frequently. A few fans are reporting that they have gotten a survey that gauges how people think about pet mechanics and pricing, which could possibly indicate that the developer's plans are still fluid. But if the game footwear are any indication, sidekicks probably won't become more affordable overall — instead, there may be a broader range of costs to choose from.

Ultimately, while certain individuals are expressing anger at the game shop prices, others are experiencing nothing but happiness for their battle royale friends.