Key Highlights:
- Fortnite might be getting gambling mechanics in an upcoming update, it is claimed.
- This leak mentions that player created content that has such loot boxes must disclose odds of items appearing beforehand.
- All things considered, this is quite the controversial decision, and one that might not sit well with its player base.
Fortnite is Epic Games’ crown jewel, and the title has always been a consistent source of revenue and player count for the big name publisher. To this extent, Epic Games does allow a series of rather tame microtransactions (in the form of cosmetics and skins).
However, leaks suggest that things could take a grim turn, with Epic Games apparently going forward with implementing loot box style mechanics to Fortnite.
Fortnite to Add Loot Boxes in a Future Update, It’s Claimed
As per a recent report from Insider Gaming, Fortnite might be looking to add in a gambling-like feature in an upcoming update. This information was originally revealed by a rather reliable Fortnite leaker known as ShiinaBR.
These mechanics are scheduled to ‘appear soon’, although we really don’t know the actual release date for this just yet. Going back to the leaks, it does mention that random items will be directly purchasable using V-Bucks (which is Fortnite’s in-game currency, that can be bought against real world money).
In other words, you will be able to directly use V-Bucks to purchase in-game content from loot boxes, that have a set chance of releasing certain rewards. It’s not unlike your usual gacha game or traditional loot box system, which is what makes it all the more damning.
Also Read: Is “The Seven” Making Its Comeback to Fortnite?
For reference, there have always been some form of loot boxes available in user created Fortnite experiences, but the difference here is that these never required spending real world money in order to be able to unlock them.
This is a rather strange move and one that will most certainly be contested against, given its rather controversial nature.
ShiinaBR’s track record has been quite impressive so far, and the fact that the original post has been taken down only adds more credibility to the story. Epic Games also recently responded to the same, which makes the issue worse.
Epic Games Has Already Given Its Response
Interestingly enough, Epic Games has already responded to these leaks, having contacted Insider Gaming for the same. As mentioned in their article, Insider Gaming was contacted by Epic Games to ‘correct’ its article about gambling being added to Fortnite.
In their words, EGS maintains that the version they’re pushing forward involves paid random items, whose odds must be disclosed beforehand by the developer, and ahead of the player’s purchase decision.
Clever word salad aside, this is, for all intents and purposes, gambling. These kinds of microtransactions are quite popular and commonplace in mobile gacha titles, and it would make sense why Fortnite might want to cash in on the trend with its massive player install base.
That being said, calling it not the same as gambling or any sort of chance based microtransaction is deviously false. Epic most certainly needs to dial back here, and reconsider whether the push is worth it.
After all, microtransactions are a very, very slippery slope, and most certainly one you’d want to keep kids away from. This also puts in the possibility of malicious actors, who may bait their audience into summoning for newer, rarer items instead of forcing them to grind through it as usual.
Only time will tell how this will pan out, but one thing’s for certain, this isn’t going to be taken lightly by most players.
