How to find Fortnite Symbiotes and unlock Carnage or Venom powers

The Fortnite Symbiotes Carnage and Venom have made their presence known in the battle royale, and if you get your hands on either of these mythic weapons then you can really improve your odds of victory. If you haven't heard of Symbiotes from the Marvel Universe before, then here's a brief explanation – they're extraterrestrials that can bond with a host to give them special powers and enhanced abilities, so you can get an advantage over your rivals in Fortnite matches during the Symbiotes Clash.

Both Carnage and Venom are available to extract, but to take advantage of their moves you first need to find them. That's why we're here to help, so let us explain how to identify the Fortnite Symbiotes locations and the way their powers work once you have access to them.

As confirmed by a recent news splash screen in the menu, the Fortnite Symbiotes are only in the game until October 18, so if you want to try out the Carnage or Venom powers then make sure you track them down quickly.

Fortnite Symbiotes Carnage and Venom locations

Fortnite Symbiotes Carnage and Venom map — (Image credit: Epic Games)

The Fortnite Symbiotes locations will reveal themselves on the map, usually once the first Storm circle forms, as the icons shown in the image above. Carnage is the red icon while Venom is black, and although they can in theory appear anywhere it seems like they usually spawn around the Boney Burbs and Corny Crops areas. Once the location has been revealed you should head there as soon as possible, then interact with the cannister you find to extract Carnage or Venom powers. Only one of each Symbiote appears per match, so if another player grabs it first then the only way to take control is to eliminate them.

Note that you can only possess either the Fortnite Carnage or Venom Symbiote and not both, and if you try to pick up a second Symbiote you'll automatically drop the first one you were carrying.

How to use Fortnite Carnage and Venom powers

Collecting either the Fortnite Carnage or Venom Symbiote will grand you access to the same set of special powers, with the main one being a giant tendril fist you can launch in front of you. This will smash through scenery, and if it hits another player it'll deal 60 damage to them before pulling them next to you – make sure you have a close range weapon handy to switch to and finish them off, otherwise you're setting yourself up for trouble by coming face to face with your opponent. This attack takes 10 seconds to recharge, so you can't just spam it to cause maximum damage to your surrounding.

The Fortnite Symbiotes also grant passive buffs just for being in your inventory, so you'll be able to run faster and jump further when you have it, even if you have another weapon equipped. You will still take fall damage if you drop too far, but you can also use this power to redeploy a Symbiotic Sail at any point while falling to enter a glide and safely drift back down to earth.