"Fortnite"/Epic Games
- "Fortnite" recently released Summer Drift, a seasonal variation of a character that was released in July 2018.
- The original Drift was included with "Fortnite’s" Season 5 Battle Pass as an exclusive item; only players who bought Drift last year are able to use the character outfit.
- But people who bought Drift last year won’t automatically get access to Summer Drift, they’ll have to fork over about $15 for the new outfit.
- Fans are concerned because the exclusive skins they buy in battle passes could become more common thanks to seasonal redesigns, and they’ll have to pay for the new styles too.
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"Fortnite" has generated more than one billion dollars through the sale of customizable items like new outfits and gear that players collect for their characters in the free to play game. But now, a newly added outfit has some "Fortnite" fans worried that their digital purchases could be losing value.
The most coveted items in "Fortnite" are complete outfits — known as "skins" — that fully transform the look of your character. Many of the game’s most impressive outfits are only available for a limited-time, giving players an added incentive to put in extra playtime or pay cash for the coolest looks.
Having exclusive outfits is a mark of pride within the Fortnite’ community – some players are actually bullied for playing with a generic "no-skin" character.
"Fortnite"/Epic Games
"Fortnite’s" latest skin is called Summer Drift, a seasonal variation of an outfit released in July 2018. The original Drift skin was included in "Fortnite’s" Season 5 battle pass, a $10 purchase that lets players unlock a variety of items and outfits. "Fortnite" creator Epic Games has said that battle pass outfits will be exclusive to that particular season, so only players who purchased the battle pass last year will be able to use the original Drift outfit.
However, Summer Drift wont be exclusive to this season’s battle pass; it’ll be available in "Fortnite’s" in-game shop for 1,500 v-bucks, or $15. Furthermore, players who own the original Drift outfit won’t automatically receive the summer variation, they’ll have to cough up another $15 to get it. Along with different clothing options, Summer Drift comes with some additional weapons and gear too.
While Summer Drift doesn’t offer any in-game advantages over Drift classic, or any other "Fortnite" outfit, it seems to conflict with Epic’s prior policy of keeping outfits exclusive, while also asking for an extra round of cash from fans who bought the costume the first time around. Fans have expressed concern that Epic will start selling updated variations of other rare outfits in the future.
During a recent hearing with UK’s Parliament, representatives for Epic Games said they want players to feel like "Fortnite" is generous. Some players are certainly excited to have another chance at buying the Drift outfit, but the new variation also runs the risk of alienating long time fans.
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Source: Business Insider – kwebb@businessinsider.com (Kevin Webb)