The free-to-play model has gotten a bit of a mixed reception over the last few years, especially when that's been paired with live-service elements. On one hand, this means that players don't need to drop a bunch of cash on a game they're unsure of, therefore encouraging them to try it out as they've really got nothing to lose. But on the other hand, this can lead to a free-to-play game feeling unfinished, with some developers thinking they can just patch and add to the game after its initial launch. Thankfully, Fortnite is one of the better free-to-play examples.
For almost six years now, Fortnite has continued to bring in huge swathes of players from across the spectrum of gamers, from complete newcomers to gaming, to those that identify themselves as more hardcore. And a lot of that success has to do with Fortnite's approach to the free-to-play and live-service models. One of Fortnite's greatest strengths is the sheer amount of free content that players can engage with, from the Battle Royale mode itself, to all the little rewards players can still redeem from a free Battle Pass. But not all of Fortnite is free.
Why Fortnite Crew is Worth the Money
Fortnite offers its most dedicated players a monthly subscription service called "Fortnite Crew." Generally speaking, this monthly subscription service gives players some V-Bucks every month, an exclusive cosmetic pack, and access to Fortnite's Premium Battle Pass, but every so often, subscribers can also redeem an additional reward or two.
Fortnite Crew has changed quite a lot over the years. Beginning back in December 2020, the very first Fortnite Crew pack gave players the Galaxia skin, and an exclusive back bling and pickaxe to go with it. Since then, some Fortnite Crew months have offered a lot more, such as February 2021's pack, which offered some exclusive loading screens and a weapon wrap on top of a skin, pickaxe, and back bling. But the issue here is that not all Fortnite Crew months are equal. One month, players could be getting the whole cosmetic shebang, and the next month all they might get is a skin, back bling, and pickaxe.
Even just in 2023 alone, the quality and quantity of Fortnite Crew's offerings have fluctuated quite a bit. January 2023 brought just a Glidhart skin, one back bling and two pickaxes, but February 2023 brought a Sylvie skin, two pickaxes, a loading screen, a wrap, and a back bling. There's really no way to predict what will be included in the monthly Fortnite Crew pack, so in that way, it can be a pretty big gamble for some players - especially those who aren't too fussed about Fortnite's own original skins. Though they've happened a few times, crossovers and collaborations in Fortnite Crew aren't too common, meaning original skin designs usually come in the monthly pack.
Still, at the time of writing, the current Fortnite Crew is pretty excellent value for money. For $11.99, players will currently receive 1000 V-Bucks straight away, along with the current Season's Battle Pass. If players had already bought the Battle Pass, then the 950 V-Bucks it cost will be credited back to the account. The main draw of this month's Fortnite Crew is the exclusive Styx skin which is a reactive one. This skin also comes with an accompanying back bling and pickaxe. This month, players can also redeem the Photonic Legacy pickaxe, which evolves visually for every month the player remains subscribed. And the final cherry on top in this month's Fortnite Crew pack is complete access to Rocket League's Rocket Pass as a bonus. For those that own both games, and even for those that just want the most out of their Fortnite experience, it's hard to deny that the $11.99 price is more than worth it, especially as the Battle Pass alone costs $9.50.
Fortnite is available for Mobile, PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
