How to survive for more than 5 minutes in Fortnite: Battle Royale

The battle royale, last-man-standing gaming mode has taken the world by (literal, shrinking) storm the past year, with H1Z1 and Player Unknown Battlegrounds paving the way to a world phenomenon that will even make its way to Call of Duty Black Ops 4 later this year. It shouldn’t be that hard to outlive all of your opponents in Fortnite? Right? Well, turns out it is.

But you don’t have to wash out with all of the cannon fodder every time. We’ve compiled a few sneaky tricks that will help you last a bit longer next time you drop in, and it all starts once you get in that bus…

Choose your drop point (Tilted Towers = death)

In Fortnite you’ll actually have a choice when spawning (unlike H1Z1 that spawns you in a random spot), and location is absolutely critical for survival. The trick is to choose a moderately remote location, check all the buildings, and still ensure that you are well-equipped for an ambush (from any party).

Also keep in mind that the shrinking circle will play a massive role in your survival. Sometimes you get lucky with the perfect spot where you can stay hidden for a while and end up being tucked away in the middle of the circle. Any location that is bigger than five houses is unsafe and could get you shot prematurely — which is what you’re trying to avoid. So just keep out of Tilted Towers and Tomato Town, m’kay?

Hide, crouch and sprint (thank you, Epic Games)

Stay hidden. And when we say stay hidden, we mean stay hidden. Find a ledge in a building or around the back that most players weren’t going to pay attention to anyway, and wait it out for as long as possible (hey, nobody said this was a guide on shooting first).

If you absolutely have to move, stay low. You have the ability to crouch (which means no-one should hear your footsteps), and sprint while crouched. Obviously this is not as quick as normal sprinting would be, but it’s the incognito way of moving around quickly.

Stock up and remember to drink the shield!

In case you were wondering, the shield is a blue vial. Find and equip at least one weapon you feel comfortable with, and if the chest odds are in your favour, equip one long-ranged weapon and a short-ranged weapon. Just to be on the safe side.

Hold on to at least one medkit, and max out that shield bar as soon as you find the perfect hiding spot. It’s always useful to find a bush, jetpack or (the recently added) shopping trolley for quick travel, but those options don’t matter if you’re hiding comfortably and are suddenly called on to do battle. Hey, it happens. If your shield’s already in place, you stand a far better chance of surviving a firefight.

Learn how to build, quickly!

There’s a reason the word ‘Fort’ features in Fortnite: Battle Royale. Building is a core mechanic that should be utilised if you want to live.

Depending on your gaming platform, your key to success is in finding the quickest combination of clicks/controls to build vertical and 45-degree structures. You’re going to want to practise these moves, as they will come in handy in the next step. But first, for those who battle to build quickly…

…Epic Games have recently added the ‘Port-a-fort’ feature, which sprouts a quick defensive structure upon impact. It kinda sounds like a grenade, so don’t flinch when it goes off.

Once you get shot, fortify immediately

This is one of those things you’ll just need to practise until you don’t die instantly at the hands of 12-year-olds anymore. Once you know how to build relatively quickly, you’ll have this one sorted.

In Solo mode, make sure to fortify once you take a hit, whether it’s building stairways (hopefully not to heaven), or square house-like structures around you. This should only come into play online when you make it to the top 10 or 20. Early on, keep in mind that you probably don’t have your eye in yet, while the guy trying to put an end to you probably does. He has gotten this far by killing (you should assume) and you have hidden like a coward.

So build houses around you, like a coward. Hey, even cowards can win. 

This is a guide to surviving, not winning

The most important tip to take from here is to learn how to use all of the resources Fortnight: Battle Royale gives you to survive as long as possible. If you’re planning on terminating everything you come in contact with, be our guest and continue landing at Tilted Towers until you are considered a pro with a blue shotgun.

If you’re still new and interested in this game ‘the kids are playing’, you can try it out on iOS before you take the plunge and download it on console/PC (and buy the Battle Pass). It has also recently been announced for launch on the Nintendo Switch, so it is on its way to being truly cross-platform. See you on the bus, noobs.