In this guide, we’ll be going in-depth regarding the fundamentals, tips and tricks, and how to get better at Fortnite…
Fortnite came out way back in July of 2017, and the immensely popular Battle Royale mode was introduced later on in September of that same year.
Of course, PUBG had started the initial craze, but no one was able to predict how big Fortnite would become.
No matter what people think of the game, it’s still popular almost 3 years after its release.
Surprisingly, Fortnite is now a prominent game in the competitive Esports world. (They’ve had huge prize pools of up to $100 million in the Fortnite Worldcup which is an annual Esports competition.)
So let’s say you’re new to the game and are possibly thinking of getting better.
Maybe your shots aren’t landing or you want to learn how to get better at building in Fortnite.
Well, you are in luck.
Whether you want to potentially go pro or just want to get better in general, we’ve got you covered.
Related Post: 21 Tips To Make Fortnite Run Better
#1: The Basics of Getting Better at Fortnite
Before we get started on the actual guide, let’s do a refresher for the Fortnite beginners out there.
in 2023, we’re quite sure most people are familiar with the format by now.
- You start in the battle bus and drop off onto any section of the map you wish.
- Well, you technically start in Spawn Island which acts as a pre-game lobby.
- You can use the weapons here for practice, and even gather material to practice your building skills.
- Remember, you can’t take any of these weapons with you when the actual game starts.
- After the timer is up, players load up on the battle bus and get ready to drop.
Some people like to avoid others and drop in an uncrowded area. But if you want to get better, dropping in an area with a lot of people and then finding your way out will benefit you. This will train you for the future and will help you to react when the pressure is on.
According to Tom’s Guide, the 7 most secluded spots in Fortnite are:
- The Motel to The West of Anarchy Acres.
- The Watchtower North of The Wailing Woods.
- The Pool Near The Tilted Towers.
- The Moisty Mire.
- Snobby Shores.
- The Hidden Tunnel Near Tomato Town.
- South-East of Dusty Depot.
Apart from that, there is a play zone similar to what you’ll find in PUBG. The playable area is referred to as the Storm, and as the Storm Eye closes in, people are forced to face each other. If you step outside the Storm, you will gradually lose health.
Those are just the Fortnite fundamentals.
But what do you need to play Fortnite and get better? There are three things to answer your question:
- Accurate aiming.
- Decent building skills.
- Familiarity with the map.
Of course, there’s a lot more to it and we have a huge amount of extra tips for you.
#2: Put in Those Hours
I know that it might sound blatantly obvious, but the more practice you put into this game, the better you will get. This could apply to any shooter out there, but in a game like this with so many elements and different gameplay mechanics, it couldn’t be truer.
According to Business Insider, Ninja live streams himself playing video games like Fortnite for about 12 hours a day from his basement studio
If you find yourself getting frustrated because you keep dying so quickly, don’t worry. That is something you should embrace and learn from.
Do you want to get better?
Then you’ll have to face players that have a higher skill set than you. Rage quitting won’t help you learn. It’s also important that you get comfortable with all the mechanics, and keep trying new things.
Found a gun that you normally wouldn’t use?
Pick it up and keep practicing till you master it. The weapons you get in this game are random, so it helps if you know how every single one of them works.
#3: Warm-Up Before Matches
This is where a lot of casual players falter a bit. If you think you can jump straight into a match out of the blue and expect to dominate the game, then you might be a bit deluded. Even the pros tend to warm up a bit before jumping into a competitive high-stakes match. But how can you properly prepare for some competitive matches?
Well, the most convenient and enjoyable way to do it is by utilizing the creative mode. There is a lot of custom-made maps made by players themselves so others can use them for warm-up.
If you play through these maps for about 15 minutes or so before a game, you’ll notice an improvement for sure.
Candook’s 3-in-1 edit course is a great map to practice your editing techniques while maintaining character movement. Here’s how you can load custom maps in creative mode:
- First off, you need to start a creative server.
- Once you’re in the creative hub, there should be several rifts you can enter. Find the featured island rift.
- After that, you’ll have to enter the island code for the map you want to play (you can find this code online for many popular maps).
Check out how Fortnite professional players warm up:
#4: How and Where Should You Drop?
If you happen to be a beginner of Fortnite starter, the first question you might ask yourself is where should I drop on the map? Now, you might be surprised by this but at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter all that much. Let us elaborate on this.
A lot of players like to drop in spots like Retail Row or one of the more crowded areas like Lazy Lake. Both of these spots have a lot of players but great loot. If you want to get better at the game, these are great areas to engage in combat with a lot of players.
However, none of that matters if you drop ten seconds after everyone else is already looting. You will be at a major disadvantage this way. But how can you be the first one to land?
First off, if the location you want to drop is at the starting route of the battle bus, you’ll want to drop straight down and deploy your glider very late. If the location is a bit further away, drop when it’s at a distance of 400-500 meters from the battlebus. Face the direction of the area, and deploy your glider when you’re about 100-150m in range.
It’s tough to figure out where you should land exactly because the map changes between seasons. Three of the best areas with good loot and a lot of materials include Holly Hedges, Lazy Lake, and Sweaty Sands. A lot of players also like to drop in Misty Meadows and Pleasant Park.
#5: Never Forget the Consumables
Consumables function in Fortnite just like they do in any other battle royale game out there. Consumables are another part of the Fortnite fundamentals I mentioned above. However, if this happens to be your first experience with a battle royale game you might be making a major mistake.
Scattered around the map you will find a lot of consumables and other items to heal yourself. You will run into a lot of shield potions, slurp juice, bandages, and a medkit. Know when to use them and when you should stock up on them. Mini shield potions will restore 25 points to the shield, while the large shield potion will give you a 50 point boost.
You’ll also find slurp juice which gradually increases your health and shield by 25 points over time. If you are playing squads or duos, you’ll find that shield potions are more beneficial. This is because your teammates can always revive if you get knocked down, and you’ll want to have your shield up for the incoming onslaught. Plus, if you get knocked out in the storm, you’ll lose a lot of hp but not many shield points.
However, if you are caught outside the storm or lose a lot of hp in a firefight, always use bandages or a medkit to heal fully. Always do this in cover, and it would help a lot if you can learn how much time it takes to heal up. This way you can plan strategically.
#6: What are the Best Weapons?
Fortnite is a battle royale game at its core. This means that the loot and weapons you pick up are randomly generated throughout the map. If you get an epic or legendary gun in one game, this doesn’t mean you’ll find it in the next game. Unless of course, you kill a player and pick up their weapons.
Personally, I’d recommend Burst Assault Rifle to most beginners. However, it isn’t the best weapon in its common or uncommon forms. If you happen to find an epic or legendary one, however, you will be annihilating your opponents. The burst is easy to master, and it’s one of the more accurate weapons in this game.
A lot of people will disagree with this, and I’ll wager that those people are fans of automatic weapons such as the Scar and SMGs. Sure both are great weapons, but the bullet spread in these guns is hard to master. I’d still recommend practicing with these guns, however, because you never know what you’ll find on the map.
Check out this awesome video of all the weapon rankings in Fortnite:
#7: Practice With Every Gun You Can!
As I mentioned above, in a battle royale game the weapons are randomly generated. If you just stick to one weapon all of the time you will be severely limited. This is especially true if you run into an experienced opponent with some tricks up their sleeve.
If both of you are fighting with assault rifles at close range, and the opponent pulls out a shotgun, you will definitely suffer if you aren’t experienced. You don’t have to master every gun out there but familiarity with every weapon will help you a lot.
It’s not only helpful in the shooting but it will help you dodge gunfire as well because you’ll be familiar with how a certain weapon controls. Most weapons don’t have a lot of recoil to them. Fortnite weapons usually have “bloom” instead, which roughly translates to bullet spread.
If you aren’t familiar with how bullets travel out of a certain gun, you will be missing a lot of shots. We’ll drop a few more tips on Fortnite weapons further on, but nothing will replace practice.
#8: Get a Good Pair of Headphones
A lot of people will tell you that if you have better equipment or peripherals, you’ll be better at the game. I don’t necessarily agree with that as better gear won’t make you professional all of a sudden. However, you can’t argue that a good pair of headphones isn’t important in this game or any other shooter out there.
If you have headphones that are good at imaging (i.e Good at depicting where sounds are coming from) you will see yourself improve a bit. You’ll start to get familiar with gunshots and footsteps, and then you can decide on instinct how close an opponent is.
Also Check: Our Recommended Budget Gaming Headsets
Listening to sounds and reacting quickly will become second nature very quickly. So a good pair of headphones is definitely beneficial to any player, beginner, or veteran.
Our Recommended Headset For Fortnite
HyperX Cloud II – Top-Rated Gaming Headset For Fortnite
Although, if you are in a hurry, the one we recommend is the award-winning HyperX Cloud II.
#9: Fine Tune Your Sensitivity
A lot of the time it’s possible that your aim isn’t the problem, but your sensitivity is. This especially applies to PC players who use the keyboard and mouse. While consoles do have aim assist, it’s not a magical way to land headshots.
Related Buyers Guide:
So finding the perfect sensitivity on either platform is important. Go into the playground mode or a practice match and see if you are over-aiming or under-aiming. If you are over-aiming, then your sensitivity is too high. If you are under-aiming, then it’s too low.
Enter creative mode and find an aim training map you like. Focus on shooting targets quickly. If you need to correct your aim a lot, then you should lower or raise your sensitivity accordingly. Despite what others will tell you, there is no perfect sweet spot.
Personally, I have always played every shooter out there with a lower sensitivity, that is why I am used to larger wrist/arm movements. It does come down to preference at the end. But spend some time to fine-tune this and you’ll be good to go.
Check out this cool video guide by Proguides on PC Sensitivity & Settings:
#10: Learn How to Build
If you’ve played a couple of matches of the Battle Royale mode by now, you are probably aware that Fortnite isn’t your average shooter. A lot of beginners believe that building is just an extra game mechanic but it is an incredibly vital part of how the game plays out.
Maybe you hop into the match, start shooting and killing a few people of a lower skill set, and feel good about yourself. Later on, you run into a person and you engage them in a firefight and they start building a three-story building in seconds. That sort of thing can intimidate anyone, and it even pushes away some people.
But if you get better at the building aspect of the game, your overall skill set will improve by a lot.
Related Guide: Fortnite Building Guide By EUROGAMER.
#11: Ramps Should Be Your Best Friend
Ramps are one of the many parts of a building you can craft with the wood you collect from trees. A great player will always utilize ramps to their full potential. If you want to know how to get better at building in Fortnite, you should master the art of building ramps rapidly.
Ramps are a good way to quickly reach higher ground and get a decent elevation or higher ground over your enemies. There are many variations to building ramps in this game. You can reinforce them with floors and walls to provide better support and they provide good cover from enemies.
If you’ve learned how to quickly build a single ramp, try to build a double ramp side by side. Once you master this act, you’ll be taking down enemies from higher ground in no time.
#12: Key Bindings for Buildings
While playing Fortnite, you’ll be quickly pressing keys on the keyboard like a madman. It’s not easy switching from one key to another rapidly fast and having good accuracy to match that speed. This is why you should bind certain actions to keys that are faster to reach.
Personally, I’ve found that the thumb buttons on my mouse work best for walls and roofs. They are quick to press and accidental presses aren’t an issue. Of course, this might vary depending on the type of mouse you have.
The ramp and stairs button should be quite easy to reach as well. This will save you a lot of time while building, and improve your overall efficiency. I’ve set them to the “Q” and “E” keys, but that’s just a personal preference.
One user on Reddit posted some ultimate keybinds for building, moving, and editing.
#13: Avoid Fall Damage
Veteran players might be laughing at this one. But you’d be surprised how many people overlook this simple point. If you’ve ever played the game Apex Legends, you know there isn’t any sort of fall damage in that game.
Unfortunately, that game mechanic doesn’t apply to Fortnite. If you want to get down from a higher point quickly, you should utilize ramps. Stairs are also a good option but they can be a bit slower. Fall damage can take a major junk of your health, so try to avoid it when you can.
You can avoid fall damage by jumping out of the snowman before you hit the ground from r/FortNiteBR
#14: Don’t Leave Any Clues Behind
You’d be surprised just how strategic players can get while playing Fortnite. If you’re leaving behind a building and then travel a bit further, people are going to figure out you haven’t gotten far.
It’s incredibly easy to sneak up on enemies or snipe them from far away. So if you’re going to leave behind a ramp anyway, lingering around for a bit might help you. This way you can pick off any unsuspecting player who’s looking around for any traces of a player.
Another good rule of thumb is to not chop down trees completely. Collect a small amount of wood from any tree you can, but don’t demolish the tree completely. Players will know that you have been farming for wood and they will hunt you down.
#15: Sneak Up on Enemies
Following up on the previous tip, stealth can be a useful tool in your arsenal as well. Instead of being hunted, you can become the hunter yourself. If you want to creep up on enemies, don’t switch your weapons frequently.
People with good headphones will quickly pick up on this and try to evade you. Crouching while walking dampens your footsteps and allows you to silently creep up on people.
#16: Don’t Waste Ammo, Use Your Pickaxe
When you’re gathering materials like metal or wood, your pickaxe is the way to go. But a lot of people don’t use the pickaxe that much because it can be slow at times. If you are one of those people, you might be wasting precious ammo while doing so.
If you’re stuck in a building or want to break down a construction you made, pull out your pickaxe. The pickaxe is also a bit quieter compared to the guns. It will still alert enemies, but it’s better than emptying the gun magazine into the structure.
#17: Pair Up With Better Players
Fortnite is so popular at this point, that you shouldn’t have much difficulty finding someone to play with. Just ask around your friend circle of friends and you’ll likely find someone who’s good at the game.
This way you can learn from them and pick up on their techniques.
#18: Watch How the Pros Do It!
As I said in the beginning, Fortnite has become a competitive gaming giant. There are a lot of streamers out there such as Tfue, Ninja, Myth, KingRichard, and many others. Watching their videos every day won’t suddenly make you a pro, but you can pick up on their techniques.
A good example is if you find yourself in a high-pressure situation, you might recall how your favorite streamer or player reacts to a situation like this. You might not always succeed, that’s given, but at least you’ll be on the right path.
#19: Aiming is More Important Than Building
I’m aware that in the above tips I stated how important building is. But at its core, Fortnite is a shooting game in the end. You might be able to build a huge construction very fast or pull off cool trick shots. However, none of that matters in the end if you get destroyed by someone who sniped you from a mile away.
That is why mastering your aim is important and crucial in this game. Even as someone who has been playing shooters for a long time, you’ll find Fortnite to be a different challenge altogether.
The reason is that guns handle very differently in Fortnite. So you’ll want to work on your aim. If you want to become a great player, tune your sensitivity and speed up your reaction times. You also need good game sense and quick decision-making skills.
Give KovaaK’s aim trainer a shot. This is a game (or training app, if you will) that will take your aim to the next level. There are a lot of options here, so you can work in a certain area you are weak in. Work on your aim every day for 10 minutes with this aim trainer, and you’ll notice a difference for sure.
A better guide to improve your aiming in Fortnite
#20: Gather Resources
A lot of fights in Fortnite involve outmaneuvering and out-building your opponents. Since you are going to be spending so much time on building, resources are extremely important in this game.
Whenever you are moving towards a new location or rotating towards the play zone, try to hunt for resources. You should avoid this when people are around but whenever you get the chance to use the pickaxe, do it.
If you are caught in a situation where you need to build but run out of resources, 9 times out of 10 you will end up dying to your opponent. Always keep an eye on your inventory and stay stocked up on resources.
#21: Master The Shotgun
This is one of those tips on Fortnite that applies to both experienced and new players out there. Fortnite wouldn’t be at the level it is today if we didn’t have those stunning clips of people owning opponents with the Pump Shotgun.
You’ll notice a lot of people like to move around while shooting. A common strategy is jumping to avoid shots. If you time your shotgun shot while the opponent is in the air, you can kill them with just one shot even to the body.
Of course, this depends on the type of shotgun you have and the damage it can dish out. But a lot of the time you’ll find it works perfectly. The weapon is also quite fun to use, so try experimenting with it.
#22: Don’t Go For Trick Shots
Sure, I get the mindset behind landing an awesome trick shot. Killing an opponent while riding on top of a rocket is one of the coolest things you can do in Fortnite. It definitely looks amazing but it isn’t practical most of the time.
If you are playing to improve your rank or in a competitive match, then you should avoid this. Sure you might get a viral clip out of it but it’s not going to make your skillset any better.
On the other hand, playing in an unorthodox strategy and outsmarting your opponents is always a good thing to do. Just don’t go overboard and try to land the shots before you think of doing something irrational.
#23: Record Your Gameplay and Watch It
Instead of screaming into your mic and getting angry, learn from your mistakes. Leave the replays option turned on in the menu. This way you can always watch how you got your best kill or either how you got killed.
Look at your mistakes and try to thoroughly analyze them. The next time you are in the same situation, remember that clip and try to react differently. Maybe the other person got lucky or you might have missed a crucial shot.
#24: Get a Higher Refresh Rate Monitor
A lot of people who like to play on PC usually use a high refresh monitor most of the time.
A monitor with a higher refresh rate will be much smoother and you’ll be able to take advantage of the higher framerates your graphics card puts out.
Again, better equipment doesn’t always mean you’ll get better performance, but in the long run, your game will generally be more responsive and fluid. (You will be able to react much quicker and have a slight advantage over your opponents.)
For the most part, a 144Hz monitor like the BenQ Zowie XL2411P is a great option for most people.
You can even go all out with a 240Hz monitor, although the benefits aren’t exactly immediately perceivable.
#25: Don’t Focus on Kills
This is a tip that applies to more experienced players rather than the newbies or beginners.
A lot of people think having a higher K/D ratio or having a certain amount of kills on your belt makes you superior. Sure, it looks good on paper, but what’s the point if you’re not actually winning the game.
Don’t get me wrong, high kill wins are definitely something you should be proud of. But a lot of people rush into an opponent and expect an easy kill, then they lose all of their progress in one fight.
Don’t compare yourself to the Esport pros out there. Those people treat the game as a job and play almost 8 hours a day. Of course, they are going to be better than you. Your best strategy is to play safely and wait it out. This way you can avoid a huge amount of enemies and make it to the top 5 at least.
#26: Stop and Take a Breath
I know things can get a bit heated at times. Maybe you are just having a bad day and keep losing match after match. It’s a largely popular battle royale game after all, and with so many good players out there you won’t win every match.
If you’re getting angry and making simple mistakes, it is probably time to go ahead and take a breather. Maybe go outside and take a walk. Come back to the game with a fresh mind.
At the end of the day, it is important to remember that it is just a game and you should be having fun while playing. If you are being a tryhard and not having fun, then what’s the point?
If you are looking for an upgrade or a laptop especially for playings games like Fortnite then do check our list of recommended gaming laptops.
Conclusion
Hopefully, all of these tips and tricks helped you out in some way.
We tried to include as many as possible for both veterans and Fortnite beginners out there. But at the end of the day, nothing is going to replace the hours and practice you put in.
Still, these tips are something a lot of people should glance over at least once and keep in mind. You will subconsciously keep these in mind and it will help you in a lot of matches.
Hay i’m a Fortnight player and you’re tips really helped me a LOT…
Me too !