Buckle up, recession is hitting Fortnite.
Epic Games has announced a shocking price increase to Fortnite's main in-game currency, V-Bucks, which players use to purchase cosmetics, subscription passes, and other virtual products.
Starting on 19 March, Epic Games will increase the cost of its V-Bucks bundles including other in-game items. The price change has been attributed to rising development costs, with Epic stating on its website: “The cost of running Fortnite has gone up a lot and we’re raising prices to help pay the bills.”
Technically, there is no direct price increase. However, the same bundle purchases will now give players a lower amount of V-Bucks, which many see as effectively making them more expensive.
Starting on 19 March, the V-Bucks bundles will be adjusted as follows:
- US$8.99: from 1,000 reduced to 800
- US$22.99: from 2,800 to 2,400
- US$36.99: from 5,000 to 4,500
- US$89.99: from 13,500 to 12,500
A user on X summarised the change, noting that 100 V-Bucks now costs approximately US$1.12. According to the post, what previously would have been a US$16.18 purchase for a SpongeBob sidekick cosmetic has now increased to around US$20.16.
The change will also affect the Battle Pass and Fortnite Crew, with both costing and awarding fewer V-Bucks. The Battle Pass will now cost and reward 800 V-Bucks, down from 1,000. Meanwhile, Fortnite Crew will grant 800 V-Bucks, also reduced from 1,000.
Other passes are affected as well. Starting with the next season, the OG Pass will cost 800 V-Bucks instead of 1,000. Both the Music Pass and LEGO Pass will now sell for 1,200 V-Bucks, down from their previous cost of 1,400.
Immediate backlash ensues
Obviously, players are unhappy about having to pay more. Users flooded the replies beneath the announcement post by Fortnite Status, with one player sharing a screenshot of their cancelled Fortnite Crew subscription, while others complained about the current state of the game.
Many comments also criticised Fortnite’s recent collaborations, including one with Roblox’s controversial Steal a Brainrot, which players deem as “AI-generated slop”. Others argued that the game has become overly focused on its metaverse ambitions, with crossover cosmetics appearing almost every week.
While collaborations are often welcomed in video games, some Fortnite players believe the constant stream of cosmetic releases shows the game prioritising selling pretty hats over improving gameplay itself.
