Battle Royale Tips, Tricks, and Strategies - Fortnite Guide - IGN
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Battle Royale Basics and Features guide
Unfortunately, the best way to learn the basics is to jump right in. While IGN's <anchor>Battle Royale Basics and Features guide</anchor> will certainly help speed up this process by introducing/explaining key concepts, most of this information will be gleaned from in-game experience. Mess around with the pickaxe, try building a wall, shoot a few guns – it shouldn’t take long to understand how the most important aspects of Fortnite works.
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Find and collect an Epic or better item before dealing damage

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# Battle Royale Basics and Features

updatedDec 9, 2021

Fortnite Battle Royale is one of the world’s most popular battle royal offerings. Set apart by its cartoonish visuals, unique building systems and wild availability – this free-to-play mode can be played on the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC and mobile – Fortnite is a household name. Because of this, we’ve decided to create this Battle Royale Basics Guide for new and returning Fortnite Battle Royale players.

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## What is Fortnite Battle Royale

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Fortnite Battle Royale is a Free-to-Play PVP mode that pits up to a hundred players against one another with the winner being the last person or squad standing. Like similar Battle Royale games, each match starts with players descending onto Fortnite’s island map followed by a mad dash to scavenge items – weapons, health packs, etc. – in hopes of gaining a combative edge. There’s also an ever-encroaching storm that creates an unsafe “out of bounds” area that players most avoid.

These elements are bolstered by Fortnite’s more unique features, namely, the ability to harvest materials from the environment to build various structures. Ramps, walls, entire forts can be built in a manner of seconds to avoid gunfire and/or get the drop on rival players. Making to the end and defeating all rivals will grant you a Victory Royale, meaning you’ve won that particular match.

## The Basics

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Thanks to Fortnite’s unique playstyle, you might be hesitant to try your luck at the game’s battle royal mode. There are a lot of factors to consider during a given match. The good news is that that Fortnite’s basics aren’t that difficult to understand once you’ve familiarized yourself with the core gameplay elements.

Fortnite Battle Royale is played in stages. It starts with waiting in a lobby while the game funnels in 99 other players. After that, it’s a quick trip in a flying Battle Bus over the game’s island map. At this point, you’ll need to decide where to land and jump from the bus before it reaches the edge of the map; your parachute and glider will help to keep you afloat long enough to hopefully reach your destination.

Once your shoes hit the ground or the top of a building/house, you’ll need to look for items while also gathering materials using your pickaxe (more on that later). The goal is to quickly pick up any nearby weapons so you can properly defend yourself. Look everywhere. In houses, buildings, inside containers and all about the ground. Just don’t stay in one place for too long. Rival players will also be on the hunt and the last thing you want is to be found tinkering with a chest, unaware of the danger running up behind you.

Fortnite’s next stage is all about survival. Well, more so than before given how the remaining players will have secured a few weapons, materials – needed to build defensive structures – and healing items by now. This is also when the Storm starts closing in. This dangerous area encircles the island, creating a constantly diminishing safe zone within its eye. Anyone caught out in the Storm will slowly take damage until they either leave the area or die.

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You’ll know when the Storm is moving thanks to a countdown timer. When it hits zero, the safe zone will shrink, cutting off sections of the island (all of which are indicated by a purple ring on your mini-map). After it hits a certain size, the Storm will stop and the countdown timer will start anew. This is done until someone wins the match or the entire island is engulfed.

Ideally, you will want to stay ahead of the storm as you move from one area of Fortnite’s map to the next. Grab offensive and defensive items, trading out basic weapons and such for their rarer counterparts. Make sure to collect ammo for your guns. Use gathered materials to build walls and such to stave off death during a firefight. Heal when necessary. Just don’t do it in the open where anyone can snipe you from yards away. If you successfully follow these basic tips…you’ll probably still lose your first few matches. But that’s ok. The goal early on is to learn how Fortnite Battle Royale differs from other games in this genre. That only really comes from playing.

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## Harvesting Materials

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Fortnite players have the ability to build makeshift structures on the go. Walls to block enemy fire, ramps to reach high places, a tower that looms over rival players – there are plenty of options to choose from. Before you can start building things, however, you’ll need to harvest different building materials from the environment using your pickaxe.

Nearly everything on Fortnite’s island can be destroyed/broken down into materials (or Mats) using your pickaxe. Just run up and start hitting a tree, rock, the side of a house to start collecting needed materials. What’s actually collected depends on the object being broken down.

Here’s a list of Fortnite’s building materials and the objects they can be harvested from:

- Wood – This material comes from any wooden objects found on Fortnite’s map. These include trees, bushes, house walls, wooden fences, crates, and park benches (just to name a few). The overall abundance of wood-based objects on the island makes it the easiest material to find in Fortnite.

- Stone – Stone can be harvested from large stone structures – boulders/rocks, stone ruins, etc. – as well as anything made out of bricks. This building material is almost as prevalent as wood.

- Metal – Metal comes from anything metallic. Cars, steel beams, phone booths, all electronic devices and so on. Like stone, metal is slightly harder to find than wood; it more or less depends on where you are on the island. A town with several vehicles and lamp posts is more likely to produce metal than a small farm in a mostly wooded area.

It’s important to note that you need to use your pickaxe to harvest these materials. Destroying a wall or tree using a weapon or explosive will remove that object from the map sans the spoils. This makes harvesting a tricky endeavor when you aren’t the only person at a given location; it’s easy to be caught while trying to chop down a tree.

Thankfully, Fortnite allows you to speed up the harvesting process by way of weak points. These targeted zones spawn on objects after being hit once. If you keep hitting them over and over, making sure to retarget them as they move about, they’ll allow you to break down objects faster than normal.

## Building Structures

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One of Fortnite Battle Royale’s key game mechanics is the ability to build structures out of thin air. This can be done by switching to the Build Mode by pressing the Q/B/Circle/A (on PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch respectively) after you’ve collected some materials. Once this mode is activated – identified by your character replacing their held item with a pencil and blueprints – you’ll be able to place different structures within the environment. The build mode will also highly the four basic structures (walls, floors, ramps, and roofs) allowing you to swap rapidly swap between them.

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Structures can be rotated and such to make sure they’re going to be placed properly (a ramp going down as opposed to up) before being constructed. They can also be edited after being placed. It’s possible to add windows or a door to a wall, narrow a ramp, and more within a matter of seconds. This is done using the edit tool while in build mode and painting sections of your structure that you want to add or remove. It’ll take some getting used to this mechanic, especially if you want to learn how to do it as fast as possible.

While Fortnite’s building mechanics are somewhat magical in how quickly you can build towers and such, there are physics-based rules to follow. For example, structures need to be anchored to something within the environment. You can’t build a floor that floats above the ground; the digital/see-through representation of what you’re trying to build will glow red, indicating that you can’t place it on that spot. You’ll first need to connect it to a wall you’ve made, place it on the ground, on the edge of cliff or fasten it to the side of a house or building.

Fortnite’s adherence to this rule also works after the fact. If a rival player destroys the foundation of your structure, everything held above it will start to crumble/disappear. Walls, floors, and roofs act like they do in real life…somewhat.

The next thing to consider are the materials you’re using to build things. Wood is the easiest material to find. It’s also the weakest in terms of taking damage. Next comes stone, then metal. Because of this, you’d think that constructing towers and such with metal is the best option. In reality that depends on the situation.

While wood is the weakest material to build with, the structures made from it are the fastest to fully manifest within Fortnite’s world. When building using the other materials, it can take a while before they are completely formed, making them vulnerable to being destroyed before you can reap their defensive benefits. That’s not the case with wood. You can rapidly place several walls, floors, and ramps without worrying about them being destroyed beforehand.

## Combat

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As with most battle royal games, Fortnite’s combat isn’t melee based. The focus is on ranged weapons and explosives. So, while it’s possible to down a rival with your trusty pickaxe, the game’s assorted shotguns, assault rifles, SMGs, grenades and the occasional super weapon is the way to go.

Before getting into what weapons should be used during a given situation, we need to talk about Fortnite’s inventory system. In Fortnite Battle Royale, you’re given five slots to hold weapons, healing items – like Medkits and Shield Potions/Pots – and other found gear. Loading up with only offensive items won’t do as you won’t be able to heal yourself if you survive a firefight. On the flipside, only grabbing one or two weapons isn’t the move either.

Note: Don’t worry about filling up your weapon/item slots with building materials. Those are held in a separate inventory.

You’ll need to balance out your inventory with the right number of weapons and gear, sporting at least three different guns and two stackable healing items; it’s possible to walk around with multiple Medkits that are housed in one slot. There are times when you’ll have to change things up. You might even decide to grab a special item like a fishing rod or grappling hook based on what you’re trying to accomplish at a given moment. Whatever the case, you’ll want to make sure you’re always prepared for the coming battles.

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With Fortnite’s inventory covered, let’s talk about trading bullets. Make sure to equip the appropriate weapon for the situation. You can cycle through your inventory using the number keys associated with your weapon slots or the Mouse Wheel on PC and LB/RB, L1/R1, and L/R on Xbox Series X/S, PS4/5, and Nintendo Switch respectively.

In Fortnite Battle Royale, a sniper rifle is great for hitting foes at a distance, while a shotgun or SMG are solid choices for closer targets. Essentially, the game follows established shooter mechanics. Your weapon type isn’t the only thing to consider during a fight though. There are also weapon variants to consider. There are multiple assault rifles, for instance, and they all have several rankings that are identified by color.

Going from weakest to strongest, its Common (Grey), Uncommon (Green), Rare (Blue), Epic (Purple), and Legendary (Orange). So, a Green Tactical Shotgun is stronger than a Green Pump Shotgun, whereas a Blue Tactical Shotgun will be stronger than both. Not only that, but it’ll also hold more ammo and reload faster than its weaker counterparts.

Fortnite Battle Royale has a revolving list of weapons. To see what’s currently being offered in-game, head over to IGN’s Fortnite Weapons List Guide.

So, you have a rival player in your sights and you’ve swapped to your sniper rifle in hopes of picking them off before they run into a nearby building. All of a sudden, they notice you and start building walls and ramps as they head towards you. It’s at this point in the game shifts a bit; instead of just worrying about what gun to use, you’ll also have to contend with Fortnite’s building mechanics.

The goal is to position yourself so that you can attack your opponent before they can attack you, either by taking the high ground – erecting a structure above theirs – or by outmaneuvering them using edited walls and misdirection. Focus more on creating space when needed, only closing in when you have a clear shot. Don’t worry these types of engagements don’t work out in your favor. It’ll take some time to learn how to better approach most combat situations.

Looking for advance Fortnite combat tips? Head over to IGN’s Battle Royale Tips, Tricks, and Strategies page for a more in-depth look.

## Solo, Duos, Trios and Squad Play

Fortnite Battle Royale is Fortnite’s F2P PvP mode. It comes with sub modes or categories based on how you want to play. They are as follows:

- Solo – This is the standard battle royale option. It pits 100 players against one another on in a free for all skirmish on Fortnite’s island. There are no teammates and subsequently, no downed-but-not-out state; once your health is depleted, you’re out of the match. Basically, it’s you vs. everyone else.

- Duos– This mode is similar to Solo, rule wise. The main difference is that it allows you to team up with a friend (or a random player via matchmaking) prior to starting a match. It also utilizes Fortnite’s respawn mechanics. Because you have a teammate, when your health is depleted, you’ll enter the downed-but-not-out state and crawl along the ground. As long as they get to you in time, they’ll be able to pick you up. If you die – by taking more damage or via the passage of time – you’ll drop a Reboot Card. Your teammate will be able to grab that card, take it to a Reboot Van, and hopefully respawn/get you back into the game.

- Trios – Trios is a team-based mode where three players are partnered up prior to a match. All of the same rules of the standard battle royal option apply, including Fortnite’s respawn mechanics.

- Squad – Squad is a four-player team mode. Again, all of the standard rules and respawn mechanics apply.

## Split-Screen

Looking to play Fortnite Battle Royale with a friend via couch co-op? Well, you can thanks to a split-screen update for consoles. A few things to know:

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- You can only play Fortnite Battle Royale split-screen on Xbox One, Series X/S, PS4 and PS5
- Both players will need to have their own accounts (they'll need to log in before starting a match)
- You can only play Duos and Squad match types
- Sessions will end if one player disconnects
- There's no sharing of inventories (you can share by dropping items) or screen sharing when one player is killed

To set up split screen, at the main menu screen, plug in a second controller. Fortnite will ask if you'd like to add another player, inviting them to sign into their account. After they do so, your friend will show up in the lobby ready to play.

## Points of Interest

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Fortnite Battle Royale’s map is always in flux. Major narrative based events and season/chapter changes will often affect large portions of the island, altering popular locations. This includes the shifting of towns, newly formed lakes and craters, the appearance of a crashed spaceship – you name it.

It’s always a good idea to try and familiarize yourself with these new points of interest. They’ll typically offer new chapter themed items (like Fortnite Chapter 2, Season 8’s cube weapons) and quest giving NPCs.

## Gold Bars

Gold Bars are one of Fortnite’s in-game currencies. They can be found in chests, under beds, in cash registers, safes and anywhere else a person might keep their valuables. Rival players will might drops some after being defeated.

Gold Bars can also be acquired by complete quests and bounties. Once collected, the bars can be used to buy and upgrade weapons, hire NPCs to fight for you, purchase crafting materials, and more. Gold Bars are basically used to get a small advantage during a given Battle Royale match.

## V-Bucks

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V-Bucks are Fortnite’s in-game currency that are purchased using real money. They are used to buy cosmetic items, Battle Passes, and to subscribe to Fortnite’s monthly Crew Pack – a bundle costing $11.99/£9.99 that unlocks that month’s Battle Pass, 1,000 V-Bucks, an exclusive skin and one extra cosmetic item (Back Bling, Pickaxe, etc.).

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## Battle Passes

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Every new season of Fortnite Battle Royale is accompanied with a Battle Pass. These passes grant cosmetic rewards on a tier system – players will need to gain experience points by playing Fortnite and completing quests in order to go from level 1-100, reaping all of the items found at each level. Players can purchase the Battle Pass for 950 V-Bucks ($7.99/£6.99 if bought directly from Epic Games) or 2,800 V-Bucks ($19.99/£15.99) for a 25-level jump start.

Completing a given Battle Pass will not only give you a bunch of cosmetic items, but also up to 1500 V-Bucks back to use on the next pass or whatever is available in the shop.

## Quests

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The best way to level up a Battle Pass is to complete quests. Ranging from simple “harvest 50 of a certain material” to somewhat complex, multi-stepped “find hidden items spread across several locations before defeating a boss” missions, they all offer up much needed XP. How much they give is relative to how difficult they are to complete.

A lot of these quests are activated as soon as you jump into match. Others are only started after speaking with specific NPCs. There also themed quests that are only available during limited windows – a winter or holiday-based quest line might appear towards the end of the year for instance.

### Up Next: Battle Royale Limited Modes

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