When it comes to customization, Fortnite boasts an eye-watering number of options. Besides the rotating stock of skins and items available in the Battle Royale’s in-game store, each season’s Battle Pass is rammed with exclusive unlocks not available anywhere else.
What with their availability being time-limited, such collectables are a means for players to show off their veteran status to others. You can imagine the controversy, then, when Epic decided to introduce a ‘new’ pet to Fortnite‘s store that bears more than just a passing resemblance to another that already exists.
As per a comparison picture posted on Reddit by one fan, the differences between each pet are negligible at best and outright lazy at worst.
Introduced as one of many Battle Pass rewards in Season 6, Bonesy has never been obtainable anywhere else. Technically, that’s still true, though only a blind man could fail this game of spot the difference. With the exception of a yellow balaclava and bandana logo, the two mutts are identical. Unsurprisingly, owners of the original Bonesy have criticized Epic not just for devaluing their status symbol, but for attempting to sell a reskinned pet for the premium price of 1000 V-bucks.
Epic, to its credit, has promptly responded to the debacle with an apology recognizing that Gunner should never have been released in the first place. The pet will be removed “within the next couple of days,” says the developer and full refunds – with an additional 200 V-bucks for your trouble – will be issued to those affected.
We should not have released the Gunner Pet and apologize for doing so. Within the next couple of days, all purchases of Gunner will be refunded for the full amount of 1000 V-bucks as well as an additional 200 V-bucks and the Pet will be removed from the Locker.
— Fortnite (@FortniteGame) August 14, 2019
https://twitter.com/FortniteGame/status/1161736803273117699?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1161736803273117699&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcomicbook.com%2Fgaming%2F2019%2F08%2F14%2Fepic-games-removing-fortnite-new-pet-will-refund-players%2F
Certainly not Fortnite‘s proudest moment, then, and going forward, Epic will certainly think twice before attempting to repackage and resell existing content. Are you in agreement that removing Gunner from the game was the best course of action, though, or do you think the issue has been blown way out of proportion? Share your thoughts in the usual place below!
