Epic apologizes for selling a new Fortnite dog that was identical to an old Fortnite dog

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Gunner was released this morning but has already been removed from the store.

Epic Games released a pet dog named Gunner to the Fortnite shop earlier today that players could purchase for 1000 V-bucks and then carry around with them on their backs. But now the doggo is gone, because it was a little too similar—which is to say, virtually identical—to a prior dog-in-a-backpack named Bonesy who was included in a previous Battle Pass.

As Redditor PhantomRacer32 made clear, there's no mistaking the similarity:

A number of fans were upset because, as Eurogamer pointed out, cosmetics are supposed to be exclusive and unavailable elsewhere. Gunner and Bonesy are technically different, yes, but not meaningfully: Gunner's bandanna has a logo on it, his fur is very slightly more yellow, and his eyes are a bit more crossed. They're similar enough that it would be tricky to tell which is which when they're not being compared side by side, especially since Bonesy is already available in multiple colors. The price tag was also an issue. Full battle passes go for 950 V-Bucks (about $10), less than the cost of Gunner all by himself.

Epic apologized for releasing Gunner on the Fortnite store and said that everyone who purchased the pet will be given a full refund, plus an additional 200 V-Bucks, within the next couple of days. People who refund Gunner ahead of that will get the 200 bonus V-Bucks and a replacement Refund Token "that can be put towards any eligible items that were purchased within the past 30 days."

And sorry, dog lovers, but you won't have the option of keeping the woofer around: When the refunds are issued, Gunner will be automatically removed from your locker.

Andy Chalk
Andy Chalk
US News Lead

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.