The announcement that a new ‘Flexy’ emote, characterized by its over-the-top muscle flexing poses, was released at once in the Item Shop at the price of 300 V-Bucks was made by the Fortnite. The emote has immediately led to a lot of discussions among the players about Fortnite‘s unusual prices for virtual goods. The release is seen as an example of the common gamer disbelief in Epic Games’ monetization policies in the widely played battle royale game.
So like, you’re just passing by and suddenly BAM! ShiinaBR tells you that the new emote is available to be purchased. The ‘Flexy’ emote with a price of 300 V-Bucks which means a part of your V-Bucks will be gone right away. Discussions start very fast. Some players express their love for the emote saying it is “so cute” and “certainly one of my new favorites.” For instance, RockyVegaTV has already labeled it as a favorite, and we are sharing the same feeling. iambarbiexx only says “Amari so Cute,” which in fact is the same feeling.
The chaos is unleashed shortly after. The gamers’ biggest confusion is over Epic’s price tags. Such a confusion is never solved! TAYEDCN has quite rightly raised the issue and is saying, “How is this 300 and the snake emote 400?” And who can argue with that? A character performs the whole dance with all the moves, and it is cheaper than an emote with just like, hand wiggles. RockyVegaTV is giving credits to another thread to emphasize that “Hula emote is 800 VBUCKS,” which only increases the absurdity of it all. Nobody can understand the pricing system, as iuDOZY so explicitly complains. It is just good vibrations and some mysterious math at Epic HQ, it seems.
The value debate is a major problem that is going on. swuish says it is “better than some of the 500 vbucks emotes,” which is a real victory for them. And sensacionacida is almost incredulous, tweeting “300 vbucks for a good emote? wow fortnite, you’re redeeming yourself.” So for a little while, it seems that the players have scored a big win. A nice emote at a not-so-high price? Maybe the tide is changing.
The confusion never ends. There are gamers who are just giving the whole shop a side-eye. tabit0_0 is very blunt: “the item shop is just garbage man.” And XTHEKITCHENSINK is hinting at the painful “anything besides fixing the game’s performance.” That is a whole different issue. Players want to have smooth gameplay and at the same time those who play want to have cool items to buy. It’s a delicate balance, and sometimes it seems like Epic is just throwing darts at a board called ‘priorities’.
Then there are the crazy digressions which are the most entertaining part of any Fortnite Twitter thread. JesseWade is saying it gives “major Sue vibes here from ‘The Substance’,” which is a very obscure reference. zolan11244 is imagining “THING AS A SIDEKICK,” which would be a fantastic idea. And OGBlackWidowFan? They are on a totally different planet demanding “We want Martin Van Buren.” Sir, this is a video game.
Moreover, a dispute arises about the type of emote this is. _Lost_something is asking whether this is “the first non icon emote dance fortnite has dropped in a while?” This question sets off a small back and forth. It is these minor details that the hardcore gamers are always mindful of. And RhEppar goes into details stating, “this is technically fish thicc’s emote cuz it’s for the ‘schweaty gym’ brand.” The lore is getting deep, folks!
In the end, a new Fortnite cosmetic drop is never just about the item itself. It is a flashpoint. It is a 300 V-Buck emote that in some way reflects all of the players’ present feelings. They are happy with the priced victory, they are confused about the pricing logic, they are irritated with the other problems, and they are always and forever ready to have a meme made about it or to ask for something completely crazy that is lost in madness. Flexy emote is nice but the real fun is always in the replies. It reminds us that the Item Shop is not simply a store for the Fortnite family; it is also a place where conversations are started, complaints are made, and wishes are fulfilled. The constant discussions about value and content are a clear indication that the players are still very engaged with the game on platforms like PlayStation and Xbox.
