Fortnite Sidekicks Are Here, Epic Confirms You Can Customize Your Pet's Appearance Once, And It's Permanent

fortniteSidekicks, the cute little pets that accompany you on your Fortnite adventures, are causing quite a stir among Fortnite fans, but not necessarily all for the right reasons.

As described by Epic Games, Sidekicks are new companions in Fortnite that can join you on your adventures in Battle Royale, Fortnite Save the World, Fortnite Festival (your Sidekick will remain in the background), LEGO Fortnite, and developer-made experiences (Sidekicks can only follow you if the island developer has enabled Sidekicks in their island). They allow you to “enjoy their company as they react to the world around you.” You can design them yourself, including their personality and physical characteristics, all of which will be locked as “permanent” details, but you can change their names and accessories – things like hats, hoodies and the like – at any time. No, they do not provide any form of gameplay advantage, nor can they be injured or killed in combat. (Phew!)

The first is Pierce, a super cute puppy made of bananas, which will be unlocked through the Battle Pass tomorrow (November 1). More games including Bonesy, Spike and Lil' Raptor will be released on November 7, with games for cat lovers to follow “shortly thereafter.” Bonesy will be awarded to players who own the Bonesy Back Bling on the same day.

So far, so cute, right? The real surprise, however, is the cost. As shared on Fortnite Reddit subsectionprices will vary, with the Lil' Raptor and Spike costing 1,200 V-Bucks, while the Flopsticks and Cuddle Team Jr. are slightly more expensive at 1,500 V-Bucks. as some people point outwhich is a pretty high price for a new feature, with the Fishstick-themed Sidekick and Flopstick costing more than the original 1,200 skins.

Man…the Sidekick is more expensive than the original skin. pic.twitter.com/HUi9oqa9N4

— Fortnite Leaks | Pluto V2 (@FortnitePV2) October 31, 2025

But things got worse. Epic has confirmed that you can customize a Sidekick's appearance once, and that it's permanent (although you can unlock clothes for them and change them at any time). This means that if you want to change your pet's color after making the initial, permanent, one-time change, you'll have to purchase the same pet again.

“You can customize the look of your Sidekick one time After getting it,” epic theory. “You can purchase Sidekicks multiple times and give them different appearances; however, each Sidekick customization you have in your locker must be unique. Duplicate appearances are not allowed.”

“Their locking customization behind the need to purchase the same pet multiple times is probably the greediest thing Epig (sic) has ever done. It's honestly a huge achievement for this company,” explain An unhappy player.

“(It's) the death of legitimate microtransactions in Fortnite,” Replied other. “Remember when they released Wraps, and unlike most games where skins for each gun needed to be unlocked individually, Wraps could be used on anything? Now we have customization locked to purchased items. There's no reason for that, except greed.”

“Either set this price and have all styles available, or lock the styles and put them between 500-600,” suggestion others. “If you do both, no one will bother.”

Don't forget Homer, Marge and co. Coming to Fortnite on November 1, 2025taking Springfield into the battle royale in a mini-season. We don't know much about it, other than that the evil alien duo Kang and Kodos will be wreaking havoc on the Fortnite map after Fortnite 2025 ends, but Here's everything we know so far, including the start time in your region, the current trailer, and what to expect.

Vikki Blake is a reporter, critic, columnist and consultant for IGN with over 15 years of experience working with some of the largest gaming sites and publications in the world. She's also a Guardian, a Spartan, a Silent Hill Warrior, a Legend, and an eternal High Chaos. find her in blue sky.