Fortnite update changes accused “Pay-to-Win” skin following player outrage

A new Fortnite update has removed problematic color combinations for the accused pay-to-win skin, which renders players in an all-black outfit that almost disappears in the shadows.

🚨#FORTNITE SUPERHERO SKINS UPDATE🚨You are no longer able to choose the white with white or black with black color combinations on your Boundless skin, due to it making #FortniteSeason5 pay-to-win. As always, you’re able to refund the skin if you want to!(via @iFireMonkey) pic.twitter.com/8P6vTdq7zY

— Fortnite Facts: Fortnite Leaks, News, and Concepts (@factsfortnite_) January 28, 2021

Fortnite players demonstrated how this skin was impossible to see when ducked down in the dark. This strategy became widespread and annoying enough that many players took to Twitter to express their frustration at this skin and the advantages it gave to purchasers.

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Fortnite takes steps to address problems

It’s great that Fortnite has taken the time to address these kinds of issues. The game’s initial success came almost entirely from the fact that Fortnite was one of the few free to play games that didn’t offer any significant paid advantages. Obviously, in addition to being a well-built game in its own right.

Given the rate at which Epic creates content for Fortnite, it’s unavoidable that certain skins and other paid content will occasionally confer at least some advantage to players who purchase them. The easiest course of action for the developers behind Fortnite is to consider these as acceptable losses and move on as quickly as possible.

In this case, however, the leadership behind Fortnite decided it would be best to avoid letting these problems continue to maintain the quality of their game. This shows that, at the very least, Epic is willing to listen to the Fortnite community and respond whenever they make a mistake, which negatively impacts the gameplay experience.

Some Fortnite players purchased this skin explicitly to have an advantage

After community backlash, Epic have announced that players will no longer be able to use all-black or all-white superhero skins in FortniteThis change will go into effect in v15.30https://t.co/g43xRKC1g1

— Fortnite News (@FortniteINTEL) January 28, 2021

The biggest problem with paid content that gives a competitive advantage is that it creates a situation among players where they feel their options are to purchase that content to keep up, or accept that they will have a harder time playing.

Given the fact that many players may have purchased the skin explicitly for that reason, it seems unfair to them that this skin has lost the very feature they bought it for.

While it might be tempting to ignore these players or the claim that they shouldn’t have bought something to gain an edge, doing that would alienate a significant portion of their audience.

Instead, any Fortnite players who no longer wish to keep this skin can request a refund and have the full cost returned to them. This seems like the best way to handle it, as now Fortnite has addressed the pay-to-win aspect of the game, without punishing players who spent money on it.