Skip to main content
Join The Community
- Join our community
11
Premium Benefits
24/7
Access Available
21K+
Active Members
Commenting
Join the discussion
Exclusive Articles Coming Soon
Member-only articles
Weekly Newsletters
Weekly gaming & entertainment news
Member Badges
Earn badges as you go
Exclusive Competitions
Members-only prize draws
Curated Deals Coming Soon
Tech and gaming deals worth grabbing
GET COMMUNITY ACCESS QUICK
For the quickest way to join, simply enter your email below and get access. We will send a confirmation and sign you up to our newsletter to keep you updated on all your gaming news.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
FIND OUT ABOUT OUR MAGAZINE
Want to subscribe to the magazine? Click the button below to find out more information.
Find out more
GET Community ACCESS QUICK

Join the GamesRadar community for quick access. Enter your email below and we'll send confirmation, and sign you up to our newsletter.

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Background
Welcome to GamesRADAR+ Community !
Hi ,

Your membership journey starts here.

Keep exploring and earning more as a member.

MY ACCOUNT

Badge picture
Earn your first badge
Read 1 article to unlock your first badge.
Keep earning badges
Explore ways to get more involved as a member.
Latest Games News

Latest Games News

Breaking gaming news and updates

Read Now
Latest Games Reviews

Latest Games Reviews

Expert verdicts on the newest releases

Read Now

See what you’ve unlocked.

Explore your membership benefits.

Explore
Member Exclusives

Stay Ahead with GamesRadar+

Get the biggest gaming news, reviews, and releases straight to your inbox.

Explore

Sign Out
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
  • home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • View Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
    • View Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
Trending
  • Saros review
  • Arc Raiders
  • The Boys S5
  • Best turn-based RPGs
  • Submit your clips. Win prizes
  • Delta Force giveaway
Don't miss these
Best FPS games: A screenshot of the Doom Slayer shooting a Cyberdemon in the game Doom Eternal.
FPS Games The 25 best FPS games to play in 2026
Pragmata Diana hacking in the Shelter with her arm outstretched
Action Games 12 Pragmata tips and tricks for new players
starfield money
RPGs Starfield money glitches, farming credits, and how to get fast cash
KOORUI GN02 monitor with Overwatch 2 main menu on screen
Peripherals Can a VPN let you play region-locked games?
Starfield XP level up
RPGs How to farm Starfield XP and level up quickly
Fortnite Chaos Cubes
Fortnite Fortnite Chaos Cubes locations and rewards for finding them
GTA 5 money cheats - get free money
Grand Theft Auto GTA 5 money cheats and how to get more cash in V and GTA Online
Fortnite New Sanctuary vault
Fortnite How to open the New Sanctuary vault in Fortnite
Fortnite Season 2 Chapter 7
Fortnite All Fortnite new weapons, vaulted and unvaulted for Season 2 Showdown
Arc Raiders Wasp Hunter armor set with yellow leather
Third Person Shooters "Players shouldn't feel fully safe" in Arc Raiders even in friendly lobbies, lead dev says
Fortnite Season 2 Chapter 7
Fortnite Fortnite Rivalries and the Showdown leaderboard explained
Marathon Cryo Archive players at exfil beacon
FPS Games How to exfil from Marathon's Cryo Archive in time
A player looks out at a ringed planet in Starfield on PS5
RPGs 9 Starfield tips to help you chart space
Key art for Marathon shows a squad of players in a red-lit room hiding in the shadows of data towers from an ominous, tall, floating red robot thing
FPS Games The ultimate Marathon guide to help you escape and make yourself god
Arc Raiders
Third Person Shooters A First Foothold quest walkthrough in Arc Raiders
Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Want to add more newsletters?

GamesRadar+

Every Friday

GamesRadar+

Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.

GTA 6 O'clock

Every Thursday

GTA 6 O'clock

Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.

Knowledge

Every Friday

Knowledge

From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.

The Setup

Every Thursday

The Setup

Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.

Switch 2 Spotlight

Every Wednesday

Switch 2 Spotlight

Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.

The Watchlist

Every Saturday

The Watchlist

Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.

SFX

Once a month

SFX

Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!


Join the club

Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
  1. Games
  2. Battle Royale Games
  3. Fortnite

How to fall faster in Fortnite and land first - we bust the myths to find a foolproof method

News
By Brandon Saltalamacchia, Leon Hurley published 9 July 2018

Can you reach the ground before anyone else in Fortnite? We test the science of falling

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Subscribe to our newsletter

How to fall faster and land first in Fortnite is a hotbed of myths and rumours because the obvious advantages if you can - land first and you get precious extra seconds to loot chests and grab guns before your enemies. But can you actually fall faster in Fortnite? This video examines all the options. 

  • Can you run faster in Fortnite?
  • What's going to happen in Fortnite season 5?

Now you can reach the ground faster if you jump right, but you can't actually do anything to change the speed you drop. Instead it's about timing and positioning. 

Here are a few things to note: 

You may like
  • Fortnite Season 2 Chapter 7 Fortnite Rivalries and the Showdown leaderboard explained
  • Fortnite Season 2 Chapter 7 The biggest changes for Fortnite Season 2 in Chapter 7
  • Is Fortnite down? Season 2 Chapter 7 servers not responding screen Is Fortnite down? And if so then how long is the Fortnite downtime?
  • Your glider falls the same speed whatever you do. It doesn't matter if you stay still or zoom about - the rate of decent is identical. 
  • You glider opens a set distance above whatever's underneath it - ground, building, tree etc. So the lower the point under you, the later - and closer to the ground - your glider will open. 
  • Popping and closing your glider as you fall actually slows you down. It might look like there's a speed boost, but the jolt you see is minimal and overall you lose speed. 

With these things in mind we've worked out the best way to land first in Fortnite scientifically. 

How to fall faster and land first in Fortnite

An illustration of Fortnite: Battle Royale characters diving into battle.

The best way to beat your opponents and land first in Fortnite is to jump one and a half squares on the map before your chosen target. From there, dive straight down to the lowest point on the map you can see and, when your glider pops, fly into the location you're aiming for. 

This won't beat someone who's doing the exactly the same thing but it will beat anyone jumping right on top of wherever you're heading. It's not super complicated: you'll have a head start and will already be descending on your glider towards your landing zone, while your opponents are falling/gliding directly over it. 

Get the timing and the angle right, and you be able to touch down a good few seconds before anyone else and grab the nearest gun before enemy's toes taste the  ground. Be careful to take into account distance and high and adapt accordingly, though. For example, if you want to hit a Tilted Tower rooftop you might need to jump a little sooner. 

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

We've investigated even more Fortnite myths if you want to find out about falling faster, or what happens when you open three llamas in one match. 

CATEGORIES
iPad iPhone Nintendo Switch PC Gaming Xbox One PS4 Platforms Mobile Gaming Nintendo Xbox PlayStation
Leon Hurley
Leon Hurley
Social Links Navigation
Managing editor for guides

I'm GamesRadar's Managing Editor for guides. I also write reviews, previews and features, largely about horror, action adventure, FPS and open world games. I previously worked on Kotaku, and the Official PlayStation Magazine and website.

Read more
Fortnite Season 2 Chapter 7
Fortnite Fortnite Rivalries and the Showdown leaderboard explained
 
 
Fortnite Season 2 Chapter 7
Fortnite The biggest changes for Fortnite Season 2 in Chapter 7
 
 
Is Fortnite down? Season 2 Chapter 7 servers not responding screen
Fortnite Is Fortnite down? And if so then how long is the Fortnite downtime?
 
 
Fortnite New Sanctuary vault
Fortnite How to open the New Sanctuary vault in Fortnite
 
 
Marathon player shooting at enemy vandal and triage runners
FPS Games Here are 15 Marathon tips and tricks for new players
 
 
Arc Raiders character holding golden sledgehammer on dark blue starry background
Third Person Shooters 10 Arc Raiders tips for securing safe victory and epic loot
 
 
Latest in Fortnite
Fortnite
Fortnite Fortnite's low-priority bug reports are regularly wiped, which Epic Games CEO says is "normal"
 
 
Fortnite Chapter 7
Fortnite "Fortnite's cultural moment is starting to fade," games analyst says amid mass layoffs
 
 
Fortnite Season 2 Chapter 7
Fortnite Fortnite Rivalries and the Showdown leaderboard explained
 
 
A screenshot of Fortnite's Jonesy looking serious.
Fortnite Fortnite art lead behind iconic characters like Jonesy has been laid off by Epic Games
 
 
Rocket Racing
Fortnite Epic kills 3 Fortnite modes amid mass layoffs, including one that helped kick off the metaverse era
 
 
Fortnite
Fortnite Epic Games lays off "over 1,000" people, CEO blames "the downturn in Fortnite engagement"
 
 
Latest in News
Lewis Pullman as "Bob" in Thunderbolts
Marvel Movies It turns out the MCU is actually pretty terrifying, as Marvel fans share their favorite scary moments
 
 
Two men holding a game in their hands
PS4 Former PlayStation boss says "we did not want to make fun of Xbox" in PS4 game sharing video
 
 
XCOM
Tabletop Gaming A Warhammer-style XCOM miniatures game is on the way from developers of Fallout Factions
 
 
Karl Urban as Johnny Cage in Mortal Kombat 2
Action Movies Mortal Kombat 2 star Karl Urban really did one of Johnny Cage's iconic moves
 
 
A mysterious figure shows up in Final Fantasy 14's Evercold reveal
Final Fantasy Yoshi-P hoped we wouldn't notice, but Final Fantasy 14 Evercold is inspired by Norse mythology
 
 
Starfield
RPGs Starfield devs faced "a lot of pressure" to use UE5, but the Creation Engine won because of modding
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. XCOM
    1
    A Warhammer-style XCOM miniatures game is on the way from developers of Fallout Factions
  2. 2
    Starfield devs faced "a lot of pressure" to use Unreal Engine 5, former Bethesda artist says, but the Creation Engine won because of its modding capability
  3. 3
    Yoshi-P hoped we wouldn't notice, but Final Fantasy 14 Evercold is indeed inspired by Norse mythology
  4. 4
    First Ted Lasso season 4 trailer sees Ted take on his biggest challenge yet and reveals release date
  5. 5
    Heroes of Might and Magic Olden Era early access review: "The legendary strategy RPG series finally makes a comeback to reclaim its throne"

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...