Fortnite Will Make Its In-Game Currency Pricier
Fortnite, the popular video game, is increasing the price of its premium currency, V-Bucks, in multiple regions starting from October 27th. The price increase will affect the United States, Japan, and a number of European countries. The new pricing for Fortnite’s various premium currency bundles was reported by Fortnite news account HYPEX on Twitter. The price of V-Bucks in US dollars will increase by around 12% to 15% depending on the bundle. For example, 1000 V-Bucks will be increased from $8 to $9. A few years ago, Fortnite actually decreased the price of V-Bucks packages while Epic Games was feuding with Apple over platform fees.
Epic Games has stated that the pricing for the Fortnite Crew subscription will not be affected by the current changes. However, certain bundles will be adjusted when they return to storefronts. These bundles include the Final Reckoning Pack, Skull Squad Pack, Graveyard Drift Quest Pack, Saint Academy Quest Pack, and Transformers Pack.
The new prices are still lower than what Epic was charging prior to that update, but not by much. It seems likely that the upcoming price increase is related to inflation, following a general trend of increasing prices across many industries. Epic Games recently reached a $520 million settlement with the Fair Trade Commission over “deceptive practices” regarding in-app purchases. Anyone who made a Fortnite purchase in error, or whose kids made purchases without their permission, can apply to claim a part of the settlement refund.