If you have dreams of becoming a pro Fortnite player then we hope to share some knowledge with this post.
Becoming a pro is never easy in any sport. It requires countless hours of practice to turn a hobby into a career, and then only the one top percent will ultimately succeed.
Still, don’t let that get you down, providing you have some natural talent – you might just need some guidance and consistency to flourish competitively.
Below, we have put together a clear route you can take that covers: becoming the best, creating a practice routine, and finally attending tournaments.
Contents:
- What is a pro Fortnite player?
- Sixteen tips to become the best Fortnite player
- How to build a Fortnite practice schedule
- Joining paid Fortnite tournaments
- How to become a pro Fortnite player?
What makes you a pro Fortnite player?
A pro Fortnite player plays in competitive matches for prize money or salaries. This requires a competent level of skill at Fortnite that differs from that of an amateur. Most Fortnite pros compete in global competitions as their sole source of income, or are paid by their teams or sponsors.
How do I become the best Fortnite player?
1. Avoid Hot Drops
Fortnite is a game of survival, and this begins as soon as you exit the battle bus. Ideally, if you are looking to make it into the second storm circle, then you do not want to land in a heavily populated area that is bound to be swarming with other players.
Most people exit the battle bus at the start of the route, but why not have some patience? Choosing to land in a semi-populated area that’s a bit further down from the bus spawn will greatly increase your chances of avoiding early conflict.
Landing in a central-ish location can also tend to help, as you won’t have to spend the whole game chasing the storm. It’s worth noting that this does not have to be a major city. Minor locations in the middle of nowhere can offer just as much valuable loot that you might not even have to fight it out for.
2. Land Fast
A swift landing is essential to making the right start in a game. Landing fast will not only give you the greatest chance to gather the top weapons before your opponents, but also allow you to take over the best positions.
For squads, there needs to be no confusion about which area you are planning to land, as this could jeopardize your direct route to the ground. In Fortnite, everyone starts on the battle bus at the same point, and it’s the pro players who reach their target on the ground in the shortest amount of time.
Deploying your parachute at the right distance is another crucial skill to master. Landing on the low part of the map (e.g. over water or cliff valleys) will reduce the time you have In the air, and help you to determine your glide distance to other parts of the map.
Keep an eye out for enemies on the way down. If there aren’t many people in the sky then you will likely have time to break in through the building through the roof. In contrast, if there are, then gliding straight towards a door or a balcony will usually offer more protection.
3. Collect Loot Fast
Slow or poor looting is a common theme in Fortnite that separates the pros from the novices. There will many battles decided on how fast you can loot at the beginning of the game.
Scout around for gold chests when you’re on your way down or as soon as you land. Remember to always prioritize gold chests before ammo boxes as they will 100% provide you with you’re a first weapon.
Other important loot includes ammo and shield positions so search for these things too. You can pick up look quickly by walking over them when wielding a pickaxe. Get your shields on as soon as possible.
4. Collect Resources Early
Just like collecting loot fast, the same thing applies to resources. Building your wood stacks up early can comfortably set you up for the rest of the game, and provide a massive advantage against your competitors during premature battles.
There’s a reason you never see pros run out of resources, and in doing so out build their opponents to win most fights. Acquiring resources becomes more difficult as the map contracts, so spending the time to increase your inventory is defiantly worthwhile.
Resources are like a second shield. You feel vulnerable without them, and generally less confident to make positive moves and plays when you know you are running low.
5. Prioritize Weapons
Due to Fortnite only having 5 weapon slots, there’s lots of debate over which weapons should be prioritized. Selecting what’s important to you will depend on your playstyle, however not having certain essential items in the heat of the moment may put you at a great disadvantage.
Generally, players should always prioritize shotguns for close combat duals, and assault rifles for those long-range gunfights from distance.
Shields can win games, offering more protection than a Med Kit if ever you take a high damage shot. Furthermore, explosives are another highly powerful weapon choice that can be invaluable in determining the outcome of a match.
6. Calculate Your Opponents Damage
If you find yourself in a close combat fight and know that your opponent is on low health – do not wait to reload before firing out your next shot! Seconds are everything when facing an opponent and the best time-saving method to finish them off is by swiftly changing to the next weapon.
An example of this would be using up all the shotgun rounds in your magazine to take an enemy down to half health, and then quickly switching to an AR or SMG to deal the remaining damage.
Similarly, if you land a high hit with a Sniper Rifle from distance, you can use the same tactic. Promptly calculate how much damage you have dealt, and If this is enough to considerably weaken them, quickly rush them to finish the job.
7. Never Stand Still
Standing still is the best way to paint a big fat red target on your back. If you’re wondering why you die so much, this is likely the main reason.
Moving targets are hard to hit in Fortnite, and pro players understand this. If you watch any of the top players you will quickly realize they are constantly moving or jumping around to not get hit. We’re not just talking Snipers here, but all weapons!
Never make it easy for your opponent by standing still or moving predictively.
8. Use Sound To Your Advantage
Sound is extremely important in Fortnite and something you should never underestimate. Similar to other popular third or FPS shooters, being able to sneak up on your opponent to land the first shot can give you a massive advantage over the outcome of the duel.
Likewise, the ability to pinpoint the location of spatial sounds is one of the most important aspects of the game. Noises like gunshots, explosions, and footprints can all be heard loudly in Fortnite and indicate that an enemy is nearby.
You can either use this skill to your advantage on the offensive or defensive, depending on your situation in the match. There might be particular situations where its best to avoid taking a shot to prevent giving away your location.
9. Avoid the Storm
The storm is a killer, and something you need to keep an eye on at all times. If it doesn’t kill you directly then it will no doubt cause you to make careless decisions such as inflicting self-damage, splitting you from your team, or even worse into another team!
Evaluating the storm comes with practice. Although it is completely random, there will always be choices you can make based on when to leave an area, or when to push an enemy (or not), depending on if the storm is closing in.
Towards the final circles, the storm gets even more deadly. While you might be able to run in it at the start of the match, this is certainly not the case towards the end. Visibility is also realty reduced. To tackle this, pros generally use colorblind settings deuteranope 3-8 to allow them to see clearer.
10. Map Positioning
Correct map positioning is hands down one of the best ways to gain an advantage in the game. This one ties in closely with avoiding the storm, in that you need to be aware of your neighboring surroundings to succeed.
The concept could mean different things to different people so let’s just simplify it as being in the best spot on the map in relation to the storm, terrain, and other players.
In terms of the terrain, gaining the high-ground has long been recognized as one of the greatest tactics in Fortnite. Due to basic geometry, having high-ground not only gives you the vision of the map but also allows you to be the “Peeker” when shooting down on your opponents.
11. Rotations
This is when players are moving (rotating) to a new area or spot on the map. It may include a strategic path to move from one point to another, or when your teammates decide to move to a new location that will allow them to heal in a fort.
An example of this would be diverting your route around the circle to avoid a cluster of opponents e.g. If the storm was moving across the map (from the south to the north). In this scenario, most players would generally stop running and congregate In the middle of the map, rather than rotate to the opposite side.
Another would be deciding to go rotate through Weeping woods for tree cover, rather than following the river around to the side (even though it might be the most direct route).
12. Decision Making
Decision making is crucial to finding your success in Fortnite. This is one of the most complex skills to master on this list because there is no right answer for what you should do in a battle. Every scenario is unique, and there are always a million decisions you could make during a match.
Many players fail to grasp the concept that Fortnite is a Battle Royale, and that means staying alive until the very end. Whether this is by pushing for a fight in the wrong position, jeopardizing their health, or generally not being cunning enough in different scenarios of play.
Just like most things in life, decision making only really embeds into the subconscious through the experience of past mistakes. A pro Fortnite player will speed this process by analyzing their gameplay and watching replays to highlight what they could of done better.
We will cover VOD replays more on the next page.
13. Master Building
Building is another fundamental aspect of the game, and what sets Fortnite apart from other shooters in the Battle Royale genre. The ability to throw up walls, ramps, and other structures on the fly can dramatically change the dynamics of any given fight.
Creating structures in Fortnite is important for survival. It allows you to hide, heal, and protect yourself against income fire. Furthermore, players with the best techniques can also use their builds to fool opponents into gaining the high ground and with just a few edits finish the match.
Learning how to perform different build combos comes with years of practice, often through studying other Fortnite pros e.g. Myth, Mongraal etc. These players have put countless hours onto their building until they have it down muscle memory.
14. Master Editing
To become a pro-Fortnite player, learning how to edit is crucial! Editing ties in with building and separates the good players from the pros. It requires lightning-fast coordination and intelligent reading of the game to pull one off on your opponents in a box-fight.
Superior editing comes with practice, practice and more practice. There are only so many edits you can make, however, it’s the speed of editing cleanly and precisely that makes the best players tower over the rest.
Once you start to develop muscle memory for the different edits, you’ll gradually get faster. If you find yourself missing the edits or fumbling the timing then slow down.
15. Stick With Your Key Bindings
It goes without saying that regularly chopping and changing your key binds is never a good idea. Pro Fortnite players do sometimes change their keys, however for the most part they find an arrangement that works and then stick with it.
Playing with the same key binds for months and years gives your muscle memory plenty of time to adapt. As a result, this consistency becomes instinctive. Once you have mastered your key binds, making sloppy edits and builds will be a thing of the past.
16. Control your Adrenaline
Fortnite isn’t just a game about fast reactions; it’s a mental game too. Being able to control your adrenaline means keeping calm in the heat of the moment, blocking outing out negative emotions, and thinking rationally to achieve that sort after Battle Royale.
Adrenaline only really starts to come into play when there’s a handful of players left in the game, or if you’re part of a competition with high stakes. The problem with this is that these situations may not arise very often, making it very difficult to train for.
The best way to overcome any doubt or nervousness is by repeatedly experiencing these heart-beating situations. This can be done through regularly participating in high-level scrims or tournaments until it becomes second nature.
We will cover joining both Scrims and Tournaments on the next page.
To find out how to create a Fortnite Practice Schedule..
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