The massively popular battle royale Fortnite has recently begun Chapter 2: Season 6, and with it brings a variety of new changes. These range from item crafting to tamable animals, befitting of the new season's "primal" theme. New players may be interested in checking out the game for the first time after hearing about the game's absurd amount of crossovers, especially when they realize that Lara Croft and Raven from Teen Titans suddenly now have something in common.
However, despite numerous changes, Fortnite has remained surprisingly consistent with its core fundamentals, and because of this, there are many important tips that all players should know in order to succeed in the battle royale.
10 Start Out With Team Rumble
While Fortnite is a battle royale game first and foremost, beginners should start out with Team Rumble to get them acclimated to the game's controls and mechanics. In this mode, players will always respawn when killed, and the match doesn't end until one team reaches the goal.
This gives beginners plenty of experience to understand the game's core mechanics, ensuring they don't fumble when they begin their first proper battle royale match. As a bonus, this mode is great for earning XP and completing quests for the battle pass.
9 Pick The Right Landing Spot
Once beginners feel confident in their skills, they can start off in their first battle royale match. The first thing all players do after starting a match is to jump off the Battle Bus. Generally, the named points of interest (POI) at the beginning of the Battle Bus's route are hot drops, or locations that are heavily contested.
New players should avoid these POIs. Often, they will be too overwhelming, as a large number of experienced players tend to land there. Instead, choosing a location later in the Battle Bus's route typically results in less players dropping. Unnamed locations are even more obscure. These make great places to frequent once beginners start discovering the ones with fantastic chest spawns.
8 Have A Solid Loadout
As soon as players land, the next step is to find a weapon. Most weapons spawn as either floor loot or chest loot. To nab a weapon right off the bat, scan for floor loot when gliding and land on it right away. If another player chooses to land on it as well, it may be a good idea to land somewhere else depending on who is closer to the weapon.
Typically, the best loadout is an assault rifle, shotgun and SMG, along with one situational weapon like a rocket launcher or sniper rifle. The last slot in the inventory should be reserved for some kind of healing item. Potential choices include a shield potion, medkit, or a Flopper.
7 Check The Map Often
In Fortnite's battle royale, each game starts with up to 100 players who all pick a spot to land. To ensure that the game doesn't drag on as a result of passive or hiding players, a damaging Storm Circle spawns at the beginning of the game and shrinks as the match goes on.
Luckily, pulling up the map shows where the next Storm Circle is. Therefore, players should check the map often and plan ahead, as running from an encroaching Storm can lead to running into other unprepared players. A fight in the Storm will set all engaging players back and possibly leave no winners, as damaged players can easily be finished off by the Storm.
6 Be Aware Of Sound Cues
Sound cues are very important in Fortnite. Players should not only be aware of the distinct shimmering of chests, but also of other players' footsteps and gunshots. Even seemingly innocuous actions like crouching, drinking a shield potion, or applying bandages make sound.
Wearing headphones helps players approximate the location of their opponent based on the sound they make. However, it goes without saying that this also applies to the player themselves. Every player needs to be self-aware of every action they take, in order to avoid disadvantageous situations.
5 Use Healing Items Wisely
Players should always have at least one healing item or shield potion in their inventory. However, the order in which they are used is also important. Generally, small shield potions ('minis') should always be applied before regular healing items and shield potions ('big pots'). This is because minis are applied faster and can't go over 50 shield, and only a big pot or a special healing item like a Chug Splash can bring shields up to 100.
Players should only use healing items like bandages or medkits when they know they have enough time, as they are less time-efficient. However, one major exception is the Flopper. This item currently heals 40 HP in a single second, and is a great option to use in a pinch.
4 Don't Stay Out In The Open
One of the biggest mistakes beginners make is assuming that they are safe when there are no opponents in their immediate field of view. However, camping with sniper rifles is a common strategy in battle royales, especially on supply drops.
It's recommended that players avoid wearing flashy outfits and always keeps moving and jumping sporadically to make their movement trajectory less predictable. Players should only stop to heal or pick up a supply drop when they know they have four walls and a ceiling covering them, whether it be the natural environment or by building a 1x1.
3 Use Right Hand Peek
Right hand peek is an important mechanic even experienced players can overlook. However, veterans and pros know how useful it is.
All players have a noticeable advantage when shooting at targets to their right, and a noticeable disadvantage when shooting at targets to their left. Because of this, players should always peek out from the right side of a wall as opposed to the left. This allows the player to hit their target while also minimizing how much of their own hitbox is exposed.
2 Choose Fights Wisely
Beginners should always proceed with caution before engaging an opponent. It may be helpful to familiarize oneself with past battle pass skins. Any player using a skin from previous seasons, especially early skins like Black Knight or Elite Agent, is likely to have more experience than someone just starting out.
However, what is most important is to observe another player and see how they play. If someone is using elaborate building techniques and eliminating other players left and right, it's best to avoid engaging them unless absolutely necessary. On the other hand, if they seem to have a less technical style or are playing passively, beginners can engage them for a more fair fight.
1 Learn The Main Building Techniques
Finally, to address the elephant in the room, it's hard to mention Fortnite without talking about how essential building is. There are many guides online on how to become a great builder, ranging from the beginner-friendly 1x1 to more technical maneuvers like the triple ramp rush or using situational edits. These all require developing muscle memory.
At the very beginning, however, players should focus on the fundamentals, such as building simple walls for cover and using ramps to maneuver the environment. These techniques are absolute necessities if one wishes to secure the coveted Victory Royale.