Epic Games raises V-Bucks prices in Fortnite and Fall Guys
It seems that the price of everything is taking heading for the roof right now, and sadly, our only escape from our financial woes are going up in price too.
Video games are trending upwards and don't look like they're slowing down. $70/£70 games are set to be the norm, with AAA devs leaping at the chance to earn a little more for their efforts - and it looks as though microtransactions are set to raise their prices soon.
Now, not even the titan of the microtransaction game is safe, as Fortnite looks like it's on an upward trajectory with its in-game pricing structure.
Fortnite's V-Bucks are getting more expensive
Click to enlargeRest in peace the $19 Fortnite card. Epic Games is poised to be the first of many to adjust its microtransaction prices for inflation. In a worldwide email, Epic has announced that the price of V-Bucks will be increasing in certain territories - affecting the United Kingdom, Canada and Mexico.
The game will be amping the price of 1,000 V-Bucks to £6.99, with Canada's prices shooting to $11.99 and Mexico will be charging MXN $159. There's a small mercy, as Fortnite Crew will be staying at the same price in all of the above.
There is a full listing of prices on the Fortnite website, and while it isn't a crushing amplification of prices, it's a sad marker of the fact that inflation doesn't simply skip video games. The "price alignment" will start from July 17, so we'd get buying those V-Bucks at a lower price while you can. But, it gets worse for gamers.
Fall Guys has had its prices raised too
Click to enlargeFortnite isn't the only Epic Games title that's getting slapped with higher prices, as Fall Guys is joining the same pricing structure. 1,000 Show-Bucks have taken the same price raise that V-Bucks have, bringing their fee to £6.99 in the UK.
Epic has defended the move "based on economic factors like inflation and currency fluctuations," but it doesn't exactly soften the blow. Are we supposed to feel bad for the likes of Epic and Activision making bank off their in-game cosmetics? We didn't think so.
Although the last pricing alignment took place in 2021, it's a shame that Epic Games has cranked these prices to make up for inflation. In the midst of a cost of living crisis, it's unfortunate that this is something we're just going to have to put up with. Sigh.
