10 essential Fortnite tips to earn a Victory Royale

Having a solid set of Fortnite tips to hand will drastically improve your odds of a win in the battle royale, as although the battleground is constantly evolving and new features are regularly added, the core gameplay of Fortnite generally remains unchanged. This means you want a solid foundation of the basics to work with, both to find your feet and to build on for the future, whether you're staying in cover, hiding your tracks, or using sound to your advantage. Helpfully we're providing that for you with these Fortnite tips, so if you take this guidance on board you can combine it with experience in matches to increase your skills.

Amazingly this battle royale has been up and running since 2017, so it may feel like an intimidating prospect for newer players to jump in at this stage and take on the veterans, but that doesn't have to be the case. With the right approach, the game is still completely accessible to fresher players, so if you learn how to play Fortnite and take on board our Fortnite tips then you're giving yourself the best opportunity to survive and, most importantly, have fun as you work your way towards achieving a Victory Royale.

1. Tweak your settings

Before you even start matchmaking, there are various settings you can change to make things easier for yourself. Under 'Game', set Sprint Cancels Reloading to On so you can take evasive action faster, Auto Sort Consumables To Right to On to help with inventory management, and Turbo Building to On so you can quickly throw up structures without having to repeatedly press buttons. Under 'Controller Options', set Controller Auto-Run to On so you can double click the left stick to automatically keep running forwards, while doing other things such as checking the map. Finally, under 'Wireless Controller' set your Build Controls to the Builder Pro configuration, as this will let you select different building pieces and construct them on the fly.

2. Get the right start

You'll see plenty of Named Locations on the map, and although these places tend to have the most loot they're also where a majority of players will initially head. Unless you want to immediately get into a scrap, consider a landing spot a decent distance away from the battle bus route and somewhere not too built up, but always be on the lookout around you when gliding and be prepared to change destination if you spot other players aiming at the same area. Remember that your glider opens automatically once you drop to a certain height above ground, so aim for the lowest spot to avoid gliding prematurely.

3. Pick the best gear

Weapons are the most important items you'll get your hands on, as without them you won't be able to inflict much damage and defeat the opponents standing between you and a Victory Royale. Items are color coded to quickly identify their rarity as follows:

Common - Grey
Uncommon - Green
Rare - Blue
Epic - Purple
Legendary - Orange
Mythic - Gold [only occasional items]

Rarer weapons deal more damage, so if you see the same weapon in a rarer color then it's always worth the swap. When building your arsenal during a match you should try to ensure you have at least a ranged weapon such as an assault rifle or sniper rifle, a close quarters weapon like an SMG or shotgun, and ideally something explosive so you have all your bases covered when it comes to taking on any enemies you encounter.

4. Stay in cover

You should never run straight across open areas unless you absolutely have to, as that's the easiest way to get spotted by an opponent, who can then either open fire on you or follow you and set a trap while you're unaware of the presence. Instead, hug the outside of buildings or move through trees to maintain as much cover as possible. Hiding inside large bushes allows you to stay hidden while still being able to look around for threats, and even crouching inside small bushes can mask your appearance from all but the most eagle-eyed of opponents scanning in your direction.

5. Don't always go on the offensive

If you see an enemy, you don't immediately need to rush and engage with them in combat immediately. Taking pot shots from a distance will only alert them to your location, so unless you're a great shot with a ranged weapon you should try to get close before attacking, ideally from behind to catch them off guard. If you see other players fighting then leave them to wear each other down, and once one has been eliminated you can quickly move in to launch an attack on the other before they've had a chance to heal and renew their shields.

6. Master the basics of building

You don't need to be able to construct huge towers or double-walled fortresses in an instant to win matches, but being able to quickly throw up a basic defensive position can definitely help you out of a scrape. Three walls in a U shape with a ramp in the middle will protect you from being shot from in front or the sides, while allowing you to peek over the top and return fire if you can see where your opponent is.

7. Cover your tracks

Finding open doors is a surefire way to know that another player has already passed through an area, and may still be nearby, so make sure you close any entrances behind you to not give away your position. If you're planning on camping in an area, it can also help to destroy any nearby structures built before hiding so enemies arriving afterwards aren't on alert. Also, when harvesting wood from tall trees it's worth not dealing the final blow, as otherwise opponents can spot the trees disappearing from a distance and start paying attention to your activities.

8. Keep the noise down

Unless you're sprinting between locations, you should crouch as much as possible when moving to minimise the noise you make, and this is especially true when arriving in a new area as you don't know if any opponents are already lurking in wait. Avoid using your harvesting tool or firing a weapon unnecessarily, as this is an easy way to give away your position to anyone in the area. This is an especially important consideration with vehicles, as although they help you move around quickly they are extremely loud and will immediately alert any nearby players to your arrival.

9. Use sound to your advantage

As we've just outlined, sound is incredibly important in Fortnite but you can use this to your advantage. By playing while wearing a decent headset or pair of headphones, you can pinpoint which direction gunfire or footsteps are coming from, allowing you to react more quickly and anticipate where the next threat is. If you'd prefer not to use a headset, then you can still add an extra layer of advantage by going to the 'Audio' settings menu and turning on the Visualize Sound Effects option. This provides a visual radial indicator on your screen for the most important sounds, so you can instantly tell where they're emanating from and act accordingly.

10. Always be aware of the Storm

The Storm can be just as deadly to you as other players if you lose track of it, so make sure you're keeping an eye on where the next circle will form. The Storm moves in slowly to begin with, but as each stage passes it speeds up and the gap between phases shortens, so watch the timer and plan your next steps to keep up. If you're close to the edge then you can use the Storm to your benefit by keeping it just behind you, as it's unlikely that enemies will be emerging from it to attack you by surprise, just don't leave yourself too far to travel when it starts contracting or you may end up getting trapped inside it.