Rising Costs Affect Fortnite Players
Fortnite has felt the sting of inflation in recent times, as Epic Games adjusts pricing across its platform. The trend began in late 2023 with a significant hike in V-Bucks prices, following a broader shift in the company’s approach to item sales. Notably, Fortnite has scaled back on the release of collaboration skins that offer multiple style options, moving away from its previous strategy to enhance player experience.
During Chapter 5 Season 4, Epic introduced 21 new non-Icon collaboration skins, but only three of these featured any style options, which were limited to toggleable elements. This shift includes recent offerings like the Platinum Festival skins, where players can now expect to pay 1,800 V-Bucks each for minor recolors of existing skins that previously would have bundled as bonuses within the original purchases.
Additionally, Epic has increasingly begun to bundle collaboration skins with accessories, often restricting individual purchases. This has become a common practice in 2024, marking a significant increase from just five occurrences in 2023, primarily with the TMNT skins released late last year.
Moreover, bundle pricing has escalated, with big collaboration bundles in 2024 often priced between 3,400 to 3,800 V-Bucks, in contrast to past caps of 2,800 V-Bucks. However, it appears Epic may be reassessing this pricing strategy, with most new bundles in December indicating a potential return to more standard rates.
