Epic Games announced that, because of the “severe increase” in the running costs of the game, the price of the currency “V-Bucks” in the Fort Night game would be raised to “help to cover the expenses”. According to official announcements, the price of V-Bucks will increase as of 19 March, while the incentive currency in the main combat pass will be removed, but the corresponding combat pass will be reduced.
Although Fortress Night can travel free of charge, it can still bring billions of dollars annually to Epic Gomes, making it one of the most successful games in the world. Most of its income comes from in-play and order-of-war permits, i.e. micro-trading. This increase means that players buy virtual money in a game that will pay higher prices. For example, prices vary from region to region: $8.99 is now given to $800 V (old 1000 V) and $22.99 is now given to $2,400 V (old 2800 V) and $36.99 is now given to $4,500 V (old 5000 V) and $89.99 is now given to $12,500 V (old 13500 V)
Meanwhile, players who subscribe to the “Crew” monthly card for Fort Night will receive 800 V instead of 1,000 V per month. The main order pass will be reduced from 1,000 V to 800 V and the other three will be reduced by 200 V. “This is the first time in the history of Fortress Night that the price of V is higher than it was when the game went online in 2017.”
As a result of the news, there was strong dissatisfaction among the players, and some questioned the validity of the reasons for the price increase, especially in view of the recent settlement reached by Google in a legal dispute with the company for five years in application of the purchase fee. Some players threatened to cancel membership subscriptions and questioned whether this would lead to further cuts in content such as daily tasks in the game. According to BBC, Vic Hood, a freelance journalist, said that the decision “may be surprising, given Epic’s recent revelations that third-party players consume a record $400 million”. She added, however, that Epic Games also experienced a decline in third-party consumption between 2023 and 2024. “Although the increase in the price of V is not ideal for players, it is better than taking more extreme measures (e.g., to convert free games to paid games). It is worth noting that over the past year the game industry has experienced a wave of price increases for hardware, software and subscriptions, influenced by rising development costs, inflation and tariffs.
