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How to win Fortnite

Cody Perez
Joseph Yaden
By and

Fortnite is one of the most popular games ever made, reaching hundreds of millions of players since its debut. Still, many players have yet to see that oh-so-satisfying Victory Royale, despite dumping numerous hours into the shooter. But we’re here to help with advanced techniques that will help you get set up for the endgame portions of a match.

This guide isn’t for beginners. These advanced tips are for those who know how to build a simple fort to defend themselves, how to quickly find chests, how to discern between the best Fortnite weapons, and so on. New players should first read our Fortnite beginner’s guide. Once you’re familiar with how each match plays out, check out our advanced tips below to learn how to win in Fortnite.

Tips and tricks

Turn on visualize sound effects

Before even jumping into a match, go into Settings within Fortnite and navigate to the Audio section. Here, you’ll find an option to Visualize Sound Effects. Turn this on and you’ll get a visual notification of many sounds, including enemy footsteps and chests. This will give you a huge advantage, as you’ll have a clear indication of where nearby enemies are at all times. Plus, it helps to know where chests are since having a robust loadout can lead you to victory.

Pick a suitable landing spot

Goku landing in Fortnite.

The fate of a match can be determined by your landing spot. If you’re a newcomer, landing at a hot location will likely lead to an untimely elimination. Likewise, landing somewhere with no loot will leave you unprepared for the first part of a match. We have rounded up all the best places to land in Fortnite to help you out.

Have a varied loadout

Close-range battle in Fortnite.

In Fortnite, gunfights happen at all distances, from up close, to midrange, and from afar. Because of this, it’s best to ensure you’ve got weapons that work for all situations. For close-quarters, we recommend a shotgun or pistol, for mid-range, SMGs and assault rifles work wonders, and at long-range, you’ll want a sniper or DMR. Having a varied loadout will allow you to compete, no matter the situation. Likewise, it’s important to always start each gunfight with max health and shields, if possible.

Pay attention to enemy gunfire

If you look at the top of the screen, you’ll see a compass that displays the direction of enemy gunfire. This is denoted by a red dot, so be sure to use this in conjunction with Visualize Sound Effects to gain a sense of where your opponents are.

Be aware of the storm’s position

Character running by trees in Fortnite.

It’s important to not get tunnel vision as you play. If you get distracted, the storm will come and quickly sweep you up, leading to an early elimination. Instead, always take a peek at the timer below the minimap to make sure you know when the storm will move. Likewise, make sure you check the map itself to see where the next circle is so you don’t get caught.

Practice building in Creative Mode

Building is a main component of Fortnite’s standard Battle Royale mode, but it’s a wildly complex mechanic that can be intimidating to learn. Rather than trying to learn within a live competitive setting, jump into a Creative match to practice building quickly. Your goal should be to learn how to put up a wall around you fast, which will come in handy when an opponent fires at you while you’re out in the open.

Play with (or watch) experts

The best way to improve is to play with veterans. The benefits of this are massive, as you can learn little techniques you might not otherwise pick up on. Make sure to pay attention to the callouts, weapons, and little strategies used by expert players so you can implement them yourself. If you don’t have experts to play with, watching popular YouTubers or streamers can be useful, as well. Learning from your own mistakes is helpful, but so is learning from others.

Don’t shoot unless you know you’ll win the gunfight

Character aiming down sights in Fortnite.

It’s easy to want to fire at every enemy you see, but oftentimes, simply spotting an opponent isn’t enough to secure the elimination. The enemy might be close to cover or might be good at dodging, so instead, we only recommend firing if you’re 100% sure you’ll knock them. Firing prematurely can tip off your foes, giving them enough time to prepare. The best course of action is to follow your opponent until you’ve got a clear shot while making sure there’s little to no cover around before firing.

How to win Fortnite Solo

Character running in Fortnite.

Playing Solo in Battle Royale is different from fighting alongside friends. When playing Solo, you don’t have teammates to watch your back, so you’ll need to be much more deliberate with your decisions as you aim to survive. This also means that, while you’re less likely to face multiple enemies at once (at least at first), you might come across more gunfights overall when compared to team-based modes.

Here are some tips to help you survive when playing Solo:

  • Know your strengths and weaknesses
  • Play it slowly and don’t be afraid to hide
  • Assume there’s an enemy at each POI you visit
  • Pay attention to how many players are left
  • Vehicles are invaluable
  • Pick your battles

How to win Fortnite Duos, Trios, or Squads

Character running in Fortnite.

Team-based modes, on the other hand, play much differently. Having squadmates can greatly impact a match’s pacing, allowing you to win more gunfights, even if you’re thrown into situations you might not be comfortable with. Since you’ve got other players to watch your back, you can get out of sticky situations more frequently, especially if you communicate effectively.

Here are some tips to help you survive when playing with friends:

  • Communication is key
  • Stick with your team
  • Use short, yet effective callouts (such as “on me” to tell your team there’s an enemy close to you)
  • Don’t leave your back exposed
  • Share supplies if needed
  • Don’t quit if you’re eliminated

How to win Fortnite Zero Build

Goku standing with teammates in Fortnite.

While many of the tips for standard Fortnite apply to Zero Build modes, the main difference is that your gun skill needs to be top-notch since you can’t quickly build a fort to hide behind. It’s a double-edged sword, as your foes are in the same boat as you are. This, in many ways, makes things easier since you don’t need to learn how to build walls around you. You can spend less time scavenging for resources, and more time moving around, allowing you to hopefully survive longer.

These are some tips for surviving in Zero Build mode:

  • Be aware of the next piece of cover
  • Accurate aim is far more important
  • Use fast healing items when possible

Since there are fewer pieces of cover in Zero Build mode, you’ll want to limit the amount of time spent out in the open as much as possible. In addition, getting caught with nothing to hide behind

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