Epic apologizes and removes Gunner pet from store following backlash

Fortnite added a new pet dog item to the Fortnite Shop named Gunner which bears a striking resemblance to a season six Battle Pass pet named Bonesy.

Players were able to purchase Gunner for 1000 V-Bucks (about $9.99 USD) before the item was removed from the store. Gunner has a printed bandana while Bonsey has a plain green camouflage one, and Gunner also has a balaclava mask. With Gunner's fur being a very close colour to the balaclava mask, it's difficult to see. Here's a side-by-side comparison of both:

The Gunner Pet was instantly under extreme scrutiny and criticism from many in the community who did not  think it was right for Epic to charge such a hefty price for an item that was once available for free.

Only hours after the discovery was made, Epic Games announced on Twitter that they will be refunding players who purchased this skin.

We should not have released the Gunner Pet and apologize for doing so. Within the next couple of days, all purchases of Gunner will be refunded for the full amount of 1000 V-bucks as well as an additional 200 V-bucks and the Pet will be removed from the Locker

Players who purchased Gunner and used in-game tools to get a refund will receive the 200 free V-bucks and an extra refund token that can be put towards any eligible items that were purchased within the past 30 days.