Fortnite is well-known for its rotating inventory of fresh skins and cosmetics, as it's one of the main aspects that has kept the game going for so long. It's been eight years since Fortnite first hit the scene, and as the game continues to hit new impressive heights of popularity, it's hard to tell just how much bigger the battle royale title can get with every new crossover and fresh original character designs.
Some of the skins and cosmetics featured in Fortnite over the years have become iconic game mascots, and one anticipated Pickaxe has finally been added to the title after two years of waiting. Baguette Bat was originally supposed to be added to Fortnite back in 2023 in honor of Bastille Day, but it was removed from its respective update before launch. The bread-inspired Pickaxe was intended to be a free item, but now that it's finally here, that's no longer the case.
Fortnite's Baguette Bat Continues a Frustrating Trend of Putting Free Items Behind Paywalls
Fortnite's Baguette Bat arrived at the Item Shop on September 5 and is expected to remain there until September 11. The Pickaxe can be purchased for 500 V-Bucks, which is around $5 USD.
Not All Free Fortnite Items Stay That Way Forever
There have been multiple instances in the past where Fortnite has introduced a free skin or item, just for it to become a paid product later down the road. Major Mancake is one specific case that stands out. In order to promote Fall Guys, players who linked their Epic Games account to the platformer and played 100 rounds would be rewarded with the skin. Later, Major Mancake would be added to the Item Shop, but this time it would cost V-Bucks. Now that Baguette Bat is here, it continues this method of turning a free item into a paid one, except the Pickaxe never even got a chance to be a free option in the first place.
Since Baguette Bat was originally planned as a free item, then it would make more sense for it to be free at its launch, especially with preconceived expectations surrounding it. Many players who were interested in the Pickaxe were looking forward to a free item, but now they're forced to drop some V-Bucks if they ever want to get their hands on it. Free Fortnite promotions are not uncommon, so it's confusing as to why the Baguette Bat isn't being offered the way it was first intended.
Baguette Bat was originally supposed to be added to Fortnite back in 2023 in honor of Bastille Day, but it was removed from its respective update before launch.
Monetization Continues to Be an Issue With Live-Service Games
For live-service games to thrive, monetization is necessary, but it can often be taken too far. Beyond Fortnite, franchises like Call of Duty and games like Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League have caused controversy with their approaches to in-game monetization.
As controversial and divisive as the genre can be, though, "live-service" doesn't have to be a bad word. Games like Helldivers 2 have proven that the live-service model can be a strong way to make a game's world more interactive, even when there are still monetized features like Warbonds.
Monetization is the lifeblood of many live-service titles, especially Fortnite, but when it comes to items that were previously expected to be free, then they should be released without a paywall. Even if Epic Games wanted to make it free for a limited time and turn it into a paid item later, like with previous skins and cosmetics, that would be far better than teasing Baguette Bat as a free item and then switching it up at launch.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 84 /100 Critics Rec: 94%
- Released
- September 26, 2017
- ESRB
- T for Teen - Diverse Content: Discretion Advised, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Epic Games
- Publisher(s)
- Epic Games
