So buckle up, guys! Epic Games drafted a monstrous update that might push the happy tears from the wallet. NOW, once any purchase is made in Fortnite, Rocket League or Fall Guys via Epic’s payment system, a Return Reward of 20% of the price shall be accomplished into the account. Could you hear that right? Free money to be spent on virtual drip.
What is this all about? I can hardly keep count! Sometimes I drop $10 on a new skin I really want to see in real life: Cha-ching, two dollars back! I might very well splurge and get a $50 bundle: That $10 is just chillin’ in my reward balance like a lazy Sunday afternoon. These credits ain’t limited to just one game; you could go hog-wild with them on Fortnite, other Epic titles, or on the Epic Games Store itself. Heck, it’s like they are giving a gift card for every transaction!
Make sure to consider some minor stipulations before going wild charging that SDK credit card of mum! Make those purchases through the Epic payment system, and do NOT fall into the trap of anything third-party… least of all, no pesky platform fees, will you? And beware! These rewards hang around for about 48 hours since they aren’t paid out immediately.”
Epic is doing this for two words: retention. Fortnite with its endless collaboration (LEGO mode, hello?), Rocket League motorized car soccer, and Fall Guys, chaotic jellybean runners are just cash-flow machines. Giving players some incentive to spend through them directly instead of through the console marketplaces? That’s one of those very big-brained decisions.
Speaking of opportunities, this could not have come at a better time. The summer doldrums are coming, while Steam is out there pushing its sales. So this rewards system is a serious upward stomp for Epic. If–and that goes mostly for theoretical–they would attach this with their usual attribution of free games, they would be really painful for us.
The quick adopters have claimed some rewards for themselves, although a handful are complaining of bugs appearing on the screen (classic Day 1 glitches). Epic’s support has since declared “aware and investigating,” hence would not recommend spending on rent money just now.
More skins = more skin customization = more thumbnails with horrified faces pointing to newbie cosmetics = free disadvantage to streamers/content creators. This one is probably going to be algorithm food.
Cons? Well, the test for willpower is going to be way harder than climbing through solo queue in ranked. The mentality of ‘one more purchase’ hits differently when you know 20% is back. Also, regional pricing might change the exact returns—don’t @ me if your conversion rates in your country make the math weird.
Now this is clearly Epic’s long-term play. Between this rewards system, their Unreal Engine dominance, and that metaverse playground they’re building, Tim Sweeney is definitely on track to take over the world. Or at least your credit card statements.
So yeah, if you were waiting for a sign to finally buy that banana skin in Fall Guys or unlock Rocket League’s latest battle car, this is your neon-flashing sign. Please, do set some budget first, and your future self will thank you when the next big collab drops.
Hey, maybe somebody from Epic’s reading this… Let’s talk about bringing back the original Fortnite Battle Pass music. I’ll throw in 20% of my dignity for that. Deal?
