Recently, Fortnite added a new feature that fans had been waiting for: Sidekicks.
Sidekicks are little animal companions you can unlock and equip, and they'll accompany you while you play most of the game's various modes.
On the bright side, these Sidekicks are cute, and players can interact with them and customise them, to an extent.
However, players have quickly cottoned on to how pricey they are, and the restrictive customisation is only exacerbating the issue.
To buy a Sidekick costs between 1,200 and 1,500 V-Bucks, putting it in the range of some premium character skins. For reference, 1,200 V-Bucks equates to roughly $10 — but you can't buy that amount, so you have to stump up for 2,800 V-Bucks, costing $22.99.
Players aren't happy about the price tag, especially because, if you want to change your Sidekick's appearance more than once, you will have to buy another one.
The game's Reddit has sparked a big conversation on this subject, with some saying "the greed on display is disgusting".
The same user writes: "If we're expected to pay $15-$20 for a virtual pet the least we should be able to do is customize them however we want, match them with our presets, etc. This is entirely possible, but due to greed and corporate overreach this ability has been restricted."
It seems Epic Games might be paying attention to this feedback, as it's already surveying players about Sidekicks.
Whether anything changes is another matter, but for now, these somewhat costly companions will remain how they are.