Fortnite tutorial: How to play Fortnite for absolute beginners

How to play Fortnite for absolute beginners

Skip to main content

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

(Image credit: Epic Games)

Taking on board some pointers for how to play Fortnite can help to give you a competitive edge, especially if you’re trying out the battle royale for the first time and don’t want to go in completely cold. You should already have a basic understanding of how this genre works, and your main objective being to outlast all other players to be the only one left, but there’s actually a lot more going on here. There are various systems and mechanics to learn so you can take advantage of them, and you’ll need to apply this knowledge if you want to ultimately walk away with a Victory Royale crown on your head. We understand that it can feel somewhat overwhelming at first when you’re a fresh player, particularly as there are already millions out there who have months or even years or accumulated experience, but unless you try it out you won’t know if this could be your new go-to game.

Fortnite characters

(Image credit: Epic Games)

Where to find Fortnite characters and what services they offer.

We’ve put together this useful Fortnite beginner’s guide as a reference point to give you all the basics you need, so you’ll have a solid foundation to build upon once you glide down to the island. We’ve leaned on the hundreds of hours collective experience earned by our crack team of Fortnite experts, to bring you what we believe will be the most useful information about how to play Fortnite, so you’ll be fully locked and loaded when you take your seat aboard the battle bus alongside 99 opponents.

How to play Fortnite for absolute beginners

The game continues to evolve with Fortnite Chapter 4, and although the island has changed significantly over the years the core mechanics are generally still the same – so this Fortnite beginner’s guide will help lead you in the right direction towards your first Victory Royale. Read on for plenty of Fortnite tips and tricks that will demonstrate how to play Fortnite to your strengths, so take your seat on the battle bus, thank the driver, and get ready to leap into battle. ..

(Image credit: Epic Games)

1. You can’t take the things you pick up on Spawn Island with you

When you spawn into Spawn Island you’ll see guns, ammo, and building materials scattered around just waiting to be grabbed. And you can grab them — but they won’t come with you into the Fortnite map. Treat Spawn Island as a practise area for how to play Fortnite, although you’ll probably only be there for a minute at most while the game fills up with 100 players. You can shoot anyone in the vicinity but the guns won’t do any damage, or if you’re being a temporary pacifist, try your hand at building a quick sniping hut (more details on how to do that below in point 8). 

2. Wait as long as possible to drop from the Battle Bus

The Battle Bus’ horn will honk as soon as you’re able to drop from it onto the map below, but resist the urge to join the crowd of players who leap from it asap. Instead wait until there’s about 3 seconds to go before the Battle Bus reaches the end of its flight path, then leap out. You’ll have little to no players to compete with for landing spots, which means there’s a smaller chance of getting gunned in the face in your first two minutes of the match and less competition for loot. Aim towards a house or structure when you’re gliding as there’s a high chance of a chest being inside it, or at the very least some basic loot. Just hit the roof with your pickaxe to get in. Speaking of the glider…

3. Your glider deploys automatically

When you’re plummeting down from the Battle Bus, there is no way to make your glider deploy later as it automatically opens when you reach a certain height over the ground below. That’s all there is to it. It only folds up once you’ve landed, so just stay patient and make a beeline for the nearest structure.

4. Drink small shield potions before glugging a large one

Around the map you’ll find both small and large blue bottles, which give you 25 shield and 50 shield respectively if you use your right trigger to drink them (the same button you use for firing your gun). Once you have 50 or higher shield you can’t consume any more small bottles, so make sure to drink them first so you don’t have them burning up a slot in your inventory. You can chug large shield potions no matter the level your shield is at, so if you only have one of them go ahead: pop the lid, and gulp it down asap.

5. Assault rifles or SMGs are good beginner weapons

As a general rule, stick to assault rifles or SMGs when you’re first figuring out how to play Fortnite. Sniper rifles are useless under 75 metres, so although you’ll want to keep one handy do not use it in close quarters combat unless you absolutely have to. Another thing to bear in mind when you’re figuring out how to play Fortnite is if/when you’re shooting someone up close and personal, you’ll want to prioritise your shotgun. Shotguns — surprise surprise — do a ton of damage and are good for one-hit kills, so keep one in your hands when you’re exploring houses, basements, or any other small spaces.

6. Pay attention to the rarity scale

Grey guns are the most common, with green, blue, purple, and gold being the ascending order of rarity. Gold guns are incredibly powerful, so don’t pass them up if you see them lying around. Hit Up on the D-pad to bring up your inventory, and if you hover over the guns you’ll be able to see how much damage they do if you’re having trouble deciding which to keep. 

7. Play with headphones on

Make sure you have a pair of decent headphones nestled on your ears, as hearing the sound of footsteps (or, more likely, gunshots) and being able to figure out what direction they’re coming from can be the difference between life and respawning in Fortnite. Knowing which direction players are coming from gives you valuable seconds to prepare, whether that’s switching to a shotgun or building a quick bit of cover.

8.  Build cover before you heal

While I’m on the subject of building, always, always, always build walls around you before you start to heal. Both healing and drinking shield potions take valuable seconds to consume (up to 10 seconds for a large healing kit), during which time you can’t move around, shoot, or do anything really except for twirl the camera. Which means you’re very vulnerable indeed, so those walls will stop any bullets connecting with your face. Walls can also clip into cliffs and hills, so there’s no need to find an empty bit of land.

9. There’s fall damage above three storeys

This isn’t Borderlands: falling from a substantial height (above three storeys, to be precise — that’s three of the standard walls one above the other) will take a chunk of your health, so either build ramps downwards or try to slide down hills or cliffs. 

10.  Always try to get the upper ground in a fight

When things start to get sticky and you find yourself in a gunfight with one of the 100 people running around the map, you want to be as high as possible. No, not in that way. Make sure you are above your opponent either by building ramps up into the sky, or by jumping repeatedly (which has the added bonus of making you harder to hit). A good strategy is to build four walls around yourself in a square, then build a ramp up to the wall facing your enemy. This’ll provide you with a good sniping platform that you can retreat down when you’re reloading. Just repeat the building formula upwards (jump to build below your feet) until you’re in a makeshift tower and have the upper hand – and gun, and grenade, and so forth…

11. Keep grenades, bandages, or shield potions in your inventory

It’s worth having at least one of the above items in your toolbar. Grenades are a great way to destroy some of your opponent’s cover, especially if you aim for the lowest part of their structure. Once the lowest level is destroyed, the rest of it will come tumbling down, leaving them out in the open and ready for your hail of bullets. Extra healing and shields will come in handy for when you’re backed into a corner but aren’t ready to give up, or you can share them with your squadmate if they’re in need of some first aid sharpish.  

12. Don’t destroy trees completely

Using your pickaxe to destroy trees is an essential way to get wood for building materials, but do not destroy trees completely. Instead stop when the tree has 50 health left on its hitbar, as leaving a trail of destroyed vegetation in your wake makes it incredibly easy for other players to follow your tracks and hunt you down. 

13. There are no longer different types of bombs

In the past we’ve had all sorts of different bombs to try out – smoke bombs, boogie bombs, stink bombs, shadow bombs – which all became a bit tricky to keep track of. However, things were massively simplified in Chapter 3 as there are now only standard grenades available, and we all know how they work. Time will tell if different varieties of bomb start to return to the game, but for now there’s just good old fashioned grenades to throw.

14. Make sure you’ve selected the right mode from the lobby

(Image credit: Epic Games)

When you boot up the game it’s automatically going to try and drop you into a squad with all the slots filled by random players. You may well want to go solo or drop into a duo instead, so just toggle the game mode first. It’ll say just above «Play!» whatever mode you’re in. 

15. Crouching minimises the noise your feet make

Sneaky is as sneaky does, and being stealthy can be a great way to edge yourself closed to that coveted Battle Royale. Keeping yourself hidden is part of the trouble, but if you move while crouched you’ll move much more quietly than if you run. It’s a very useful trick if you can hear someone nearby, because you can manoeuvre yourself into a better hiding place before they come after you. 

16. You have to buy the Battle Pass to get the majority of the rewards

(Image credit: Epic Games)

Although there are some perks available without spending a single dime, if you want to get the best skins and other items you’ll need the Battle Pass. It costs 950 V-Bucks, meaning you’ll need to buy the smallest V-Bucks bundle, at $9.99 / £7.99. After that it’s just a case of playing and ticking off as many quests as you can to start earning yourself some gear.  

17. You can break (almost) anything with your pickaxe

If you think you’ve got stuck in a building or built yourself inside a construction, don’t fret. You can break (almost) anything with your pickaxe, so just start smashing your way out. But be careful, that little red circle icon that pops up means you’re making noise and anyone nearby will hear it, so take your time escaping your current conundrum. 

18. You can change your skin, stickers, and emotes in the locker

(Image credit: Epic Games)

All the skins, banner icons, gliders, harvesting tools, loading screen, contrails, emotes, dances, sprays and more all live in your Locker. You can switch them in and out from here before every match, but you won’t be able to change any of it in match, so make sure you’re happy with your look and your equipped items before you drop. 

19. Use Battle Lab mode to familiarise yourself with the map

One of the key aspects to improving at Fortnite is learning the map. Jumping into public games and fighting against 99 other players each time can get quite tiresome if you’re not succeeding, so hop into Battle Lab mode then choose Create A Battle Lab to explore the map to your heart’s content. You have free rein of the battle royale island, from Slurpy Swamp to Steamy Stacks and everywhere in between. All possible chests and vehicles are guaranteed to spawn in Battle Lab too, so you can learn where each chest is likely to be and familiarise yourself with your favourite locations.

20. Get into the habit of harvesting materials as you run

While the player with the best aim will usually come out on top in a fight, building is absolutely key to give yourself the biggest advantage possible. To build though, you need to have materials which can only be obtained through harvesting materials. Wood is the most common and you can destroy everything from trees and bushes to chairs and wardrobes. Test out which structures give you the most materials then harvest them as you run from one location to the next to give yourself maximum resources.

Get the best gaming deals, reviews, product advice, competitions, unmissable gaming news and more!

Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors

Iain originally joined Future in 2012 to write guides for CVG, PSM3, and Xbox World, before moving on to join GamesRadar in 2013 as Guides Editor. His words have also appeared in OPM, OXM, PC Gamer, GamesMaster, and SFX. He is better known to many as ‘Mr Trophy’, due to his slightly unhealthy obsession with amassing intangible PlayStation silverware, and he now has over 500 Platinum pots weighing down the shelves of his virtual award cabinet. He does not care for Xbox Achievements.

With contributions from

  • Sam LoveridgeGlobal Editor-in-Chief, GamesRadar+

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

©
Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury,
Bath
BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Guide for Fortnite — Tutorial

When you enter the game for the first time, you’re greeted with a cutscene. This cutscene tells you a bit about the storm, but puts you in the field pretty quickly. Let’s talk about the HUD.

HUD

On the bottom left is a blue, green, and yellow-orange bar. These are your shield, health, and energy respectively. Shield and health make up your total health pool. The difference between the two is that shield regenerates after not being hit for a few seconds while you must regain health through abilities, gadgets, and traps (although it can regenerate if it drops under 30%). Energy is consumed when you use skills and regenerates fairly quick.

Hide ads

Next to the 3 bars are two circles. These are your gadgets. Above the bars and gadgets is the chat.

The top right shows the shield, health, powerlevel, hero class, mic status, and BluGlo amount of your teammates.

Middle left shows any objectives, sub objectives, and pinned missions.

On the top right is a map and mission modifiers.

On the bottom right are 4 squares and 3 circles. The first square is your pickaxe and the remaining 3 are the weapons you have equipped. The circles are your abilities which are determined by your hero.

Above this are the 4 build pieces and a trap.

Above these are your current building materials, wood, brick, and metal with wood being the weakest and metal being the strongest. Each building costs 10 pieces of material. Next to this is your BluGlo count and backpack icon. Some objectives or sub-objectives require BluGlo to complete or start.

Tutorial

You start off with some basic Husks in front of you that you need to shoot. After clearing the Husks, jump over the barricade and head to the minecart. The game will inform you to change to your pickaxe to break it down. Ray and Ramirez will have a small chat. When you’re outside change to building mode and build a ramp (note that the order of the structures is wall, floor, ramp, and pyramid). Climb up and open the chest. Ray will instruct you to destroy some trees and cars to harvest materials to craft. Once you’ve collect all the parts, open your inventory and select the gun schematic to the left side of the screen to craft it.

You’ll receive a distress call. You should now see an white circle with an exclamation point on the map. This is your current objective. Head to the objective and defend the fort until the time runs out.

You’ll be given a tutorial on traps. After that, head inside and open the chest on your way to the next objective. You’ll soon encounter a wall and a tutorial on editing structures.

Ahead, you’ll find a rocket. Follow the yellow exclamation point to try to turn it on. You’ll find that you need BluGlo to start it. BlueGlo is a blue blob with lumps you see around the lab. Collect it and power the rocket. I’ll also make a note that BluGlo doesn’t persist outside of missions, so you’ll lose all of your BluGlo when you leave a mission.

Husks will start to attack again, so head back outside. A short cinematic will play when you reach the outside to introduce the Smasher. These Husks are a big bullet sponge that can tear apart forts in seconds. They can’t hurt the objective.

Defend the rocket for 2 minutes. In the middle of the defense, you’ll be given a gadget, Air Strike. This is a huge area damage move. Complete the rest of the defense.

Name your Homebase, create a banner, and unlock:

3. Stonewood
1. Walkthrough overview

Find anything you think is wrong with this walkthrough? Help us fix it by posting in its Walkthrough Thread.

This walkthrough is the property of TrueAchievements.com. This walkthrough and any content included may not be reproduced without written permission. TrueAchievements.com and its users have no affiliation with any of this game’s creators or copyright holders and any trademarks used herein belong to their respective owners.

Survivor Squad Leveling | Fortnite: Battle the Storm

The power of the main base is 80-90% dependent on the power of the survivors, so if you want to increase your power, first upgrade the survivors.

First of all, you must ensure that all squads have the same leader, because when you complete this item , the power of the leader doubles.

Thus, the leader, having 135 of his own power, giving a match, has a total of 270

Therefore, even a rare survivor leader that gives a match will be more powerful than a legendary survivor leader that does not have a match.

After selecting a leader, you should select the survivors in such a way that they match the leader in character, this will also give them additional power.

. , will still be better than a rare survivor that matches the personality of

Initially, it is not worth collecting survivors by bonus, but it is better to concentrate on ensuring that they still approach the leader. However, if you have already assembled a team that matches in character, then you should also think about bonuses. Trap Durability Bonus and Spell Damage Bonus — are the best Survivor bonuses and should be picked up first.

When upgrading survivors (and skills), the emphasis should be on Attack and Technique ( attack increases your damage and technique increases your ability damage). This does not mean that resistance and stamina should not be upgraded at all, but it should be done last, when attack and technique are pumped almost to the maximum. As an example, the screen of my pumping survivors.

As you can see, attacks and vehicles are about 20-25% more. This is far from ideal pumping, but it already looks like the truth. Ideally attack of and of vehicles should be 30-40% more compared to fortitude and for resistance.

Often, when leveling survivors, there are not enough tutorials, , and in order not to fire some hero or survivor every time, I advise you to convert rare survivors. This is done very simply. Enters Conversion.

Choose a rare survivor. Gain >30 points and convert.

And then we fire this survivor, for which we get 1 training manual.

The only disadvantage of such a farm is that Recruits quickly run out (25 recruits are spent per survivor). However, they can be easily farmed on missions to rescue survivors, sometimes they are given for other missions, but in smaller numbers.

You can also get recruits from expeditions, but there are very few of them, about 10-20, so it’s better to farm recruits by Rescue Survivors

Author: MyF

Why is Fornite crashing? — How to fix a crash in Fornite?

Fornite is a fashion game, it is the most played and popular in recent years. It performs updates from time to time, which can cause servers to go down for a few minutes. If you are unable to access the game for an extended period of time, there may be something wrong. Learn how to fix Fortnite 9 crash0005 in the next lesson.

Why is Fornite crashing? — How to Fix Fortnite Crashes — Fortnite Error

Usually, Fortnite crashes cause very common errors that are easy to fix. In most cases, these can be errors connessione or systems (there are also errors that you do not listen to and are not listened to in Fornite). So, before you decide all is lost, it’s best to check out the following list of simple fixes for the most common Fornite errors.

    Index

      Fix Fortnite Crash Easily and Quickly

      Are you having problems with the game Shipped Battle Royale? If a mod game developed by Epic Games breaks down at any time, you can check out this overview of the most common game errors and their solutions:

      Keep your game up to date

      you should always have the latest version of the game. This is the main way to fix a crash in Fortnite.

      These reminders are not usually needed. However, if you have turned off automatic updates for some reason, remember that for the best performance of the game, it is best to install the latest version.

      Are there any bugs on the game servers?

      This is a frequently asked question from Fornite players when they are unable to connect to the game properly. Because sometimes servers crash or fail.

      This usually happens when the game has new updates or patches. However, most patches of time does not require downtime or just a few minutes of inactivity.

      If the connection problem persists for an extended period of time, your device most likely has an internet connection problem.

      Similarly, you can always go to the official Epic Games page or Reddit to check the source of the problem. If it is a malfunction of the servers, you will quickly find out through these portals.

      Error 0 solution to fix Fortnite 9 crash0121

      This is a very common error that occurs when you try to compare yourself to other players. Don’t worry, there’s a pretty easy fix for the Fortnite crash. To resolve error 0, you need to close the Fornite app and go to the Windows Start Menu.

      Type cmd in the Cortana search bar. When the results appear, right-click this option and run it as an administrator. When the command prompt window opens, enter the following command «sfc/scannow».

      Run it and wait for the scan to finish. Proceed to restart your computer and they will try to restart it in Fornite. If the error has not been fixed, you will need to reinstall Fornite or contact the game developers for help.

      latency issues

      If you’re missing games due to game lag, you should check your home internet network before blaming the problem on the Fornite servers.

      To fix the Fornite crash, start and restart your modem and router.