Fortnite, the popular online gaming platform, is increasing the price of its in-game currency, V-Bucks, effective Thursday. The price hike, as stated on the game’s website on March 10, is attributed to the rising costs of running Fortnite. While the game itself is free to play, Fortnite generates revenue through in-game purchases, particularly V-Bucks, which players use to acquire new skins and other virtual items.
The price adjustment will be implemented globally, impacting users in Canada, where the same price will now fetch fewer V-Bucks. For example, an $11.99 pack that previously purchased 1,000 V-Bucks will now yield 800 V-Bucks, according to a spokesperson from Epic Games, the parent company.
Epic Games has been engaged in legal battles against tech giants Google and Apple over antitrust issues for several years. The disputes arose from accusations of anti-competitive practices, including high commission rates on in-app purchases levied by Google and Apple, which at times reached up to 30%. As a result, Fortnite was removed from both the Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store in 2020 when Epic attempted to circumvent these charges.
Google later reduced its fees following a settlement, allowing for competition, including the Epic Games store, which potentially aided Epic in covering legal expenses. The legal proceedings against Apple are ongoing, with a judge ruling in 2021 that Apple could impose a non-prohibitive fee if alternative payment methods were provided. However, in 2025, the judge found Apple in violation of her order, and the tech giant lost its appeal against the decision.
Epic Games’ prolonged legal battles have impacted its revenue, particularly from Fortnite on mobile platforms. Despite this, industry experts believe that the recent V-Bucks price increase is unlikely to deter gamers from continuing to engage with Fortnite, given its status as a “forever game,” designed for long-term play and social interaction.
While some experts question the necessity of the pricing adjustment by Fortnite, others believe that gamers will understand the move, considering the company’s overall goodwill within the gaming community. The decision to decrease the value of the in-game currency rather than directly raise prices is seen as a strategy to maintain profit margins while minimizing the impact on consumers, especially younger players.