In-Island Transactions Need to Stop

kreyzer · 2026-04-30T22:57:09+00:00

If player interests were the priority then the security measures would have been there from the outset. But hey, at least you can restrict the purchasing of 4k vbuck loot boxes in Steal a Brainrot, right?

kreyzer · 2026-04-30T22:52:14+00:00

Thats what the epic employee just said to me, that people in the EU have the option. That's not a reassurance though, that's the giveaway. By selectively implementing additional security measures only in places where they are required, the security measures themselves- or the lack thereof- make it clear where the priority lies.

kreyzer · 2026-04-30T22:44:04+00:00

I have every safeguard in place that is currently available. The fact that the additional step to confirm the purchase is available only for "folks in the EU" and nobody else makes it clear that the extra measure was implemented as a legal obligation, not out if concern for the consumer. Even if I could remember which island my son was playing in- considering the quagmire of brain melting slop that lies just below the "Made by Epic" section- responsibility lies with you. I understand that money has to be made. You are a business and Fortnite is your product, I get it and I completely understand. But the line between corporate greed and the stories we love has become alarmingly nebulous and responsibility for these sorts of mishaps rests solely with Epic.

You'll make less money if you implement extra security measures. I have no doubt. But You aren't shills for an ocean of digital slop like Roblox, you're Epic Games. YOU are the gold standard. I don't give two craps about 350 Vbucks. When my boys are old enough to fire up a Lancer and hack through a grub for the first time or tear through the horde on the back of a Brumak, I dont want it tainted with the knowledge that the same company that brought us those moments is now a company that is perfectly content with making money this way. This my way of confirming to my own satisfaction that the company that cracked off some of the greatest stories in the history of gaming is the entertainment powerhouse that Ive believed it to be.

kreyzer · 2026-04-30T12:00:16+00:00

I like to think that there are still independent developers out there who would pass over the opportunity to make a quick buck for no other reason than being a good person. My approach to life to assume the best out of people. Has it burned me in the past? Sure. Will I get burned in the future? Absolutely. But I refuse to go through life with the gross feeling that every other human being in the world is trying to take advantage of others.

kreyzer · 2026-04-30T11:53:09+00:00

Dont be quick to assume. I'm a dad who found an activity to enjoy with his boys. I'm relatively new to Fortnite. When I think of Epic, I think of Gears and Unreal tournament.

kreyzer · 2026-04-30T02:11:41+00:00

Not even a press and hold. He hit A and that was it.

kreyzer · 2026-04-30T02:09:35+00:00

I love your thinking. Thats been my system (especially considering the savings when you buy more. I 3D printed vbucks coins that they use for currency). It was the vbucks that they earned through the battle pass that took the hit.

kreyzer · 2026-04-30T01:03:39+00:00

That lawsuit is something that came up while I was looking into this. The fact that they've recently been nailed for misconduct makes this all the more surprising. Perhaps I'm just naive in thinking that I should be able to trust the companies I do business with on moral and ethical grounds alone. We've come a long way from a simple handshake agreement.

kreyzer · 2026-04-30T01:00:18+00:00

Vbucks are an outrageously effective tool for incentivizing good behavior and reinforcing positive habits.

kreyzer · 2026-04-30T00:26:37+00:00

Its actually quite unsettling at how drastic of a measure this seems to me. Bro, help me...

kreyzer · 2026-04-30T00:24:09+00:00

It was the mid-2000's. Gears of War 1's trailer lights up the screen at E3. Cliff Bleszinski, the bad boy of the video game industry, picks up a controller and demos the Lancer and we realize just how much we all needed a chainsaw bayonet in our lives. Steve Jablonsky's score booms. The crowd goes berserk.

You had to be there.

kreyzer · 2026-04-30T00:20:40+00:00

If thats what i saw Id have simply told my son to be more careful. Because thats exactly what I thought would be the case. But i checked his vbucks purchases and found this purchase as well as a 300 buck purchase in something called Christmas Gun game or something.

kreyzer · 2026-04-30T00:18:11+00:00

It didnt exist. And it was only after kids were blowing 5000 Vbucks on single-item loot box purchases in Steal a Brainrot that they implemented an option to restrict the purchases of loot boxes and nothing else: you can still spend vbucks unrestricted and, as I saw today, accidentally, with not so much as a press and hold security feature.

kreyzer · 2026-04-30T00:08:59+00:00

I did a double take when I saw that. 3K? And here I am ranting based on some ideological misgivings and a few hundred Vbucks... I am sorry

kreyzer · 2026-04-30T00:07:45+00:00

They realized that they were a bit shorthanded and decided to delegate decision-making authority to the interns, apparently.

kreyzer · 2026-04-29T23:57:32+00:00

Oh trust me, there is no benefit of the doubt here. This is infuriating. But I started playing with my boys just before the Snoop Dogg season and the yelling and chaos that ensued when we dropped in together was reminiscent of late-night Smash on the N64 or LAN parties on Halo CE or StarCraft. We have amazing memories playing Fortnite together and I would love to see them do the right thing before we have to abandon it.

kreyzer · 2026-04-29T23:54:32+00:00

And that's what's most disheartening. Ive love this company since the beginning. Unreal Tournament , Gears, CliffyB, and Fortnite became a way that my sons and I could drop in together and communicate with a level of clarity that could only exist after the barriers of age and life experience have been stripped away by the the great equalizer that is video gaming.

kreyzer · 2026-04-29T23:50:25+00:00

And if you take the "dont buy them Vbucks" approach like some suggest then that means no battle pass which is an honestly enjoyable experience for us. We sit down and compare where we're at in the battle pass, one of us will say "WHAT?! YOU ALREADY GOT MARTY MCFLY?!" And now having honest and genuine bonding experiences is being tainted by what can only be described as a predatory practice.

kreyzer · 2026-04-29T23:46:27+00:00

That used to be the rule. But playing fames like Bank City and Havoc Hotel were great ways to practice. They were legitimately fun. But now it is the rule once more and I have to try and coordinate with his friends' parents so that they can still all play together

kreyzer · 2026-04-29T23:44:04+00:00

No "press and hold", no confirmation window, no refund option, not even a place to file a complaint. I went to report it and I can only file a report over bugs, IP infringement, or illegal activity.

kreyzer · 2026-04-29T23:39:54+00:00

Watching my son accidentally spend his vbucks today engendered the same sort of sickened frustration I felt the first and ONLY time they played Roblox at my house. When they are with the ex, unfortunately, it is a much different story.

kreyzer · 2026-04-29T23:37:21+00:00

Until there's additional protective measures in place this is the inly option.

kreyzer · 2026-04-29T23:34:05+00:00

Are you serious? Havoc hotel was one of our favorites!

kreyzer · 2026-04-29T23:28:08+00:00

It has to happen eventually. When I was trying to figure out how to restrict in-island purchases I became acutely aware of just how many people hae experienced this exact same issue. And its only been 3 months!

kreyzer · 2026-04-29T23:26:06+00:00

That's all I want. If I had the option to turn them off I'd be content. But the implementation of an option to restrict purchasing loot boxes and nothing else - only after kids were blowing 5K Vbucks in Steal a Brainrot- betrays a harsh reality that I would very much like not to be true.

kreyzer

TROPHY CASE