Fortnite, Stop Trying To Take Advantage of My FOMO

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Fortnite loves preying on people’s FOMO syndrome. I think it’s time Epic Games put an end to it.

For those unaware, the Fear of Missing Out syndrome is described by psychologists as a “pervasive apprehension that others might be having rewarding experiences from which one is absent.” To put it into context, it’s essentially the dread of missing out on key content that may or may not return to the battle royale.

Consumers have been locking horns with Epic for quite some time regarding this issue. Just recently, this past March 8, parents of Fortnite players filed a claim against Epic Games due to “deceptive practices employed on a massive scale in one of the world’s most popular video games,” that being, of course, Fortnite.

The claim essentially criticizes Fortnite’s practices when it comes to selling items via the in-game shop. The virtual storefront has constant refreshes with skins coming and going left and right. Oftentimes, once a skin leaves the shop players have no way of telling when will it come back.

Previously, the store had a timer that tracked how long a cosmetic item would be in the shop, adding to that sense of urgency that sometimes forced players to fork out the cash. In a few instances, according to the claim, the timer was not respected, with cosmetics able to be purchased after it had expired. The claim calls this an “unlawful scheme.”

Regardless of the claim’s outcome, one thing is true: Epic Games loves banking on the playerbase’s FOMO to make items more appealing.

Steps have been taken in the right direction, so credit’s where it’s due: battle pass cosmetics may now appear in the item shop 18 months after they were originally released. In years past, Fortnite newcomers were locked out of previous seasons’ rewards, making it a badge of honor for veterans. A way for them to say “I was here before you.”

As a gamer, I get it – Epic Games is a company, and they need to make money to keep their business running. But when it comes to digital goods in video games, artificial scarcity just doesn’t sit right with me. It’s like they’re trying to cash in on the hype without providing real value to players. I believe that digital goods should be accessible to everyone, not limited by some arbitrary restrictions meant to boost profits.

Consider as a quick example how much players desire the return of the Capcom skins. Iconic characters like Chun-Li, Ryu, Cammy, and Guile have not been available since August 2022. This means fans have been consistently petitioning for nearly three years to make these skins available for purchase again.

In this particular case, it may be an issue with Capcom and the handling of the IPs, with the licensing agreement coming to an end. At the very least, Epic Games could be more communicative with players. When are they planning on bringing back certain outfits? Are they a unique drop with small chances of ever making a return to the item shop? Instead, it’s all left up in the air.

I lucked out and bought my Street Fighter outfits the last time they came around. Had I missed them, I’d still be reeling over the fact that Epic doesn’t want to take my money for reasons unknown to me as a consumer. Many players, sadly, aren’t as blessed.

The industry as a whole is slowly phasing out super strict FOMO-inducing practices. Marvel Rivals, for instance, has battle passes that don’t expire, letting players grind the content they purchased even after a season ends (shoutouts to Halo Infinite for doing this first, though).

Fortnite still works under this more traditional way of incorporating battle passes, which feels grimy. Maybe I don’t have enough time these weeks to grind the pass I paid for. Does that mean I’m not entitled to my Sub-Zero skin and will have to wait a year and a half for a chance at spending more V-Bucks just to get it?

I don’t know if we’ll see Epic Games implement more consumer-friendly practices. At least one thing’s for sure: more and more people are raising their voices against FOMO and I’m adding mine to the choir.

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2025-03-18 02:47