Fortnite is, by far, one of the most popular free-to-play battle royale games to date. With its cartoon-style graphics and construction mechanics, the game brings a lot of possibilities to the table. The premise is straightforward: Be the last player (or team) standing, as you fight against other players online. While this all seems easier said than done, your best bet is to practice, practice, practice to get good at the game.
Now, there’s nothing wrong with familiarizing yourself with the game’s basics as you play it for the first time. In fact, that’s how ALL gamers get their start on playing a game: Learn, and THEN strive to be better. So, there’s no worries if you get killed in last place in your very first game, or if you don’t get a Victory Royale (the game’s fancy was of saying “1st place”) in your first run.
In this essential guide, we’ll show you the ropes, as you begin your gaming endeavors on Fortnite. Remember: Learn, and have fun while you’re at it!
Let’s dive in!
Check System Requirements for Fortnite
“The good news is, Fortnite can be played on many platforms,” says Lyle Cunningham, a game writer at Law essay help. “However, you’ll still need to read up on the minimum requirements for all devices, even if you have your heart set on one console or platform.”
With that said, here are the requirements for each platform:
PC/Mac Requirements
For computers – regardless if it’s PC or Mac – the game will need 20GB of disc space; and your computer will need at least:
An Intel HD 4000 (or Iris Pro 5200 GPU)
A Core i3 2.4GHz CPU, AND
4GB of RAM
However, the recommended specs are:
A Nvidia GeForce GTX 660, OR
AMD Radeon HD 7870 equivalent DX11 GPU with:
2GB VRAM
A Core i5 2.8GHz CPU, AND
8GB of RAM.
In addition, the game requires your machine to be either:
at least Windows 7, OR
MacOS X Sierra (10.12.6) (which supports the Metal API)
Mobile Devices
While the game isn’t currently available to iOS (due to the ongoing lawsuit with Apple), you can still play it mobile by visiting the Samsung Galaxy Store (Android) and download the Epic Games app.
Xbox/PlayStation Requirements
On consoles, the game can run on any of the latest versions. Here are the latest versions that the game can be played on:
Xbox One
Xbox Series X/S
Playstation 4
Playstation 5
Nintendo Switch Requirements
While Nintendo only has one mode of Fortnite (Battle Royale mode), the Switch is still another option to play the game on. Just head over to the Nintendo eShop on the handheld, and download it for free.
Dying In Your First Match Isn’t The End Of The World
“As you’ll notice right away, you’re not going to score first place in your very first match,” says Cunningham. “In fact, you’ll die a lot in the game, because that’s the premise. It’s a type of survival game which requires brains and skill in third-person shooting. So, if you die, you can simply try again in another match, since there’s no limit in how many matches you can enter. Plus, you’ll learn more about how you’ve died, and how you can do better next time.”
Learn To Build
While you’ll be shooting at other opponents in the game, you’ll still need to do one other thing: build. While it’s not required to be an expert builder, knowing the basics is key.
In the game, you can build walls, towers, shelters, etc. Your built structures will help you do the following:
Briefly shield yourself from incoming fire
Hide from enemy players
Provide temporary shelter when you’re healing yourself, AND
Create ramps to elevate to higher grounds, or to safely get down from something tall
To build in Fortnite, you’ll need the following resources: wood, brick or steel. Luckily, you can find these materials all over the island in numerous ways:
Lying around
When knocking down trees, buildings, or structures with your axe
Where people died
Inside treasure chests, etc.
Once you have a good number of materials (with the maximum number of units being 999), it’s time to put them into good use. When you build a single wall, floor, ramp, or rooftop, it takes 10 units. Plus, you can switch materials however you see fit.
Also, keep in mind that knowing your materials is key. While wood is a good material to start with, it offers short-term protection from gunfire. Brick is stronger, but again, it won’t provide much protection. Steel, on the other hand, is the strongest material of the three; and the best scenarios to use it are as follows:
When climbing up or down structures
When creating shelters to heal in
When shielding yourself from gunfire, etc.
Despite the possibilities and materials used when building in-game, there’s one way to ensure that you’ll implement builds on the fly: adjusting your game settings.
“Before starting a match, click or tap on the three horizontal lines on the top right-hand corner of your screen,” says Cunningham. “This is where you’ll find your settings. Next, when you click or tap on ‘Settings,’ you’ll be met with a catalog of settings, from audio to resolution to gameplay. In that catalog, you’ll see a video game controller symbol on the top of the screen. Go over to the controller symbol, click or tap, and you’ll see a blueprint of your controller or keyboard. Here, you can adjust what each button or action will do when you play the game, or you can opt for either the pre-made ‘Combat’ or pre-made ‘Builder’ settings. You may want to adjust and play with buttons and actions to see which controls are comfortable for you.”
Ultimately, you’ll need to play around with building in Fortnite, whether it’s just simple structures or wall-building. Once you get the hang of building in the game, you’ll be able to do so on the fly.
Opt For Assault fortnite rifles And SMGs
What’s a battle royale game without the weapons? In this game, you’ll be introduced to a wide variety of weapons, once you get settled in on the island in a match. You’ll run into the following weapons:
Handguns
Assault fortnite rifles
SMGs
Shotguns
Sniper rifles
Grenades, etc.
However, since you’re first starting out in the game, you may want to stick to using assault fortnite rifles or SMGs. You can experiment with other weapons, once you’re comfortable using assault rifles and SMGs, since those two only require a short distance between you and an opponent. Once you’re comfortable with short-range shooting, then you can move on to long-range with weapons like the sniper rifle.
Wear Headphones
Did you know that you need to listen in the game? It’s true!
“Using headphones can do wonders as you play the game,” suggests Cunningham. “Headphones allow you to hear incoming footsteps and gunfire without having to second-guess on where your enemies will be. When you’re able to hear things, that can give you some time to prepare for your attack accordingly without anyone catching you unaware. While regular ear buds can give you decent sound, you may want to invest in headphones that give you that crisp sound.”
Take The High Ground
Want to get a competitive edge on opponents in your first game of Fortnite? You can!
Stay above your opponents by taking to the hills, mountains, or buildings. That’s you taking the high ground.
From above, you’ll reduce your chances of getting bombarded with gunfire, since the opponents will have to work to get to you with their weapons. You can also build yourself a sturdy tower, so that if you’re unable to get to a building or hill soon enough, then at least you’ll be able to tower over your opponents with something makeshift and tall, thus making you harder to hit.
Check Your Inventory
On the bottom of your screen, you’ll see a group of 5 squares that house your inventory. Here are your typical items inside the inventory:
First aid (the bandages and or the med kit)
Shield potions (small and large)
Grenades
Firefly jars, AND
Weapons (any)
However, if you’re new to the game, you’ll need to stick with grenades, bandages, and shield potions in your inventory, while having two weapons with you, since the game will only allot you 5 spaces of inventory. You can always replace items with different at any time during the game. So, if you’re not happy with a particular weapon, then you can switch it out for a new one. Plus, there’s always an abundance of shield potions and first aid lying around on the island, even though you’re only allowed to hold onto a certain amount at a time.
Avoid Chaos
Want to know another secret in Fortnite?
When being carried to the island on the blue school bus, and you see other players jump off, don’t jump right away. Since you’re new to the game, you may want to stay put on the bus for at least 15 seconds after the bus releases people out into a skydive towards Earth. You can take this time to quickly pull out the map, and see which spot you’d like to land.
Also, when airborne, pay attention to where opponents are landing, and avoid them if you want to grab weapons and prepare for your first gunfight. Plus, if you see a bunch of people going to a certain area on the island, then avoid that area so that you have more time to prepare.
Know Your Weapon Colors
Believe it or not, the weapons of this game are color-coded. No matter which weapons you choose to work with, they go by a rarity system. The rarity system goes as follows:
Grey is common.
Green is uncommon.
Blue is rare.
Purple is epic. AND,
Gold is legendary.
Normally, the common, uncommon, and rare items are easier to find in the game. For the epic and legendary weapons, you can either find them in hidden places or other players you eliminate, or you can craft them in crafting station. You can also switch out weapons, if you come across a weapon that’s higher in rarity than your currently have in inventory.
You Have More To Fear Than Opposing Players
Finally, there’s more to Fortnite than what meets the eye. In other words, almost anything can kill you in the game – not just other opponents.
In fact, there are many ways you can die in this game, including:
Falling off a building or mountain (which is, by far, the easiest way to die)
Catching on fire from:
A firefly-jar-caused fire
An explosion at a gas station
When you or someone shoot a red gasoline can, etc.
Spike traps laid out by other players
In-game characters that are programmed to fight against anyone they encounter (You’ll know this when you see a red exclamation mark [!] from a distance)
A loose grenade (When you throw a grenade, and it mistakenly comes back to you – That’s dangerous!), AND
The storm
Now, when there’s a storm coming, your best bet is to run away from it. If you end up getting caught in the storm, then it will slowly suck up your health. You’ll be eliminated by the storm you’re your health reaches zero.
Needless to say, almost anything, other than opponents, can either hurt you or end you.
Conclusion
So, there you have it! That was so much to cover on Fortnite!
At first, the game may seem daunting, and you might mess up a few times during gameplay. But don’t worry! All Fortnite players go through that same initiation of trying, learning, and going over that first hurdle. So, remember: Take your time at the game, and have fun!
One more thing: Since you’re new to the game, beware of V-Bucks scams. V-Bucks are the game’s currency for buying skins, emotes, and other things. While getting more V-Bucks is tempting, the game itself will warn you not to fall for any scams promising free V-Bucks or Fortnite redeem codes. Always get V-Bucks in-game, or at other Epic-Game-Store-approved retailers.
On that note, now that you know the basics in this essential beginner’s guide, we hope that you have better confidence in playing the most popular battle royale game to date!
Game on!
