Fortnite unapologetically embraces the best and worst aspects of free to play games. On the hand, Epic Games does not charge you to play Fortnite, the single most viewed game on Twitch. It’s free to upgrade your character’s skills or abilities; paid items are purely cosmetic. How far you advance in a match largely depends on your luck, and to a lesser extent, your skills.

The flip side of the free to play equation is the presence of microtransactions. Although many gamers rightfully criticized titles such as Star Wars Battlefront II’s launch for its reckless pay mechanics, free to play games with purchasable items tend to cause less uproar. I still hate the idea of microtransactions regardless of how much I paid for the game. Fortnite’s V-Bucks currency system doesn’t help matters either, since its pay tiers are organized so that you almost always pay for more credit than you need for any one item. I maintain that spending actual money on digital cosmetics in a free game seems absurd. But then again, I’m not Fortnite’s target audience.

I recommend that you really stop and think about your decision before you put down any cash. Also, know that whatever outfit or item you purchase in Fortnite will not magically transform you into a better player. Instead, you will just look more ridiculous when you exit a round early. And whenever the Fortnite fad ends, you won’t get back any of the money you spent on such frivolities.

Parents, it should go without saying that hiring a Fortnite coach for your child is a waste of money. I honestly didn’t think I could be surprised anymore by ridiculous Fortnite news, but here we are. I fully expect to see a live-action Netflix series before the year is over.