If you're looking for Fortnite mobile tips and tricks then you need to start with the basics - especially if you're a beginner.
Epic Games’ free-to-play Battle Royale version has breathed new life into a title that had struggled to get off the ground. Like PUBG and H1Z1, the game pits you in combat against up to a hundred other players, but unlike those titles, there is a twist. You can shoot, snipe, hack and slash, and also build structures to add a more tactical element to the game.
Related: PUBG mobile tips for beginners
Fortnite tips for beginners
Our five top Fortnite tips for beginners:
- Land first - Freefall as fast as possible to get a gun as quickly as possible. You’re a sitting duck without one.
- Pick a remote spot - if you’re a beginner, game time is an essential way to enhance your skills so try to pick a part of the island that won’t be too popular. Chances are, you’ll get caught in the storm but it’s a valuable few minutes to get to grips with the game.
- Smash stuff up - use your pickaxe freely to destroy buildings to collect resources - just make sure no one’s around to kill you while you work.
- Be quiet - if you’re entering a new building or structure, move slowly in the crouch position to check the area is clear.
- Practise your aim - use the target button to zoom in for a more accurate shot at opponents.
One of the key reasons for its success is the ability of Fortnite on mobile to break into the mainstream, attracting downloads from mobile users who would not necessarily identify as gamers and who have never even heard of PUBG or H1Z1. At least in part, Fortnite owes a debt to Drake and a man with blue hair for that.
Fornite on mobile has also been a smash because it’s relatively simple to play. It takes just a few games to pick up the basics and it’s entirely possible to score a decent placing within your first few games. The same random factor that can allow new players to place well also gives the game depth, as even the best around can fall victim to a momentary lapse of concentration, or stray rocket.
Fortnite sign-up mobile
Epic Games did a great job of creating a buzz around Fortnite on mobile. How? Well, the celebrity players, record stream numbers and clips of rocket riding snipe shenanigans were all definitely factors, but they also pulled one of the oldest tricks in the book….making it hard to get.
Initially, Fortnite sign-up mobile was via invite only, creating big FOMO and demand soared. Even after launch, Fortnite was only available on iOS, meaning only iPhone customers could get it. Players had to wait a few months before Fortnite on Android became available.
Now, of course, Fortnite is available on PC and Mac, Xbox, PS4, Nintendo Switch, iOS and, as of August 9 2018, Forntie is also available on on Android.
Fortnite Mobile on Apple devices requires iOS 11 on at least an iPhone 6S/SE, iPad Mini 4, iPad Pro, iPad Air 2, iPad 2017 devices or later.
Fortnite on Android is compatible with the following devices:
Samsung Galaxy: S7 / S7 Edge, S8 / S8+, S9 / S9+, Note 8, Note 9, Tab S3, Tab S4 Google: Pixel / Pixel XL, Pixel 2 / Pixel 2 XL, Asus: ROG Phone, Zenfone 4 Pro, 5Z, V
Essential: PH-1
Huawei: Honor 10, Honor Play, Mate 10 / Pro, Mate RS, Nova 3, P20 / Pro, V10 LG: G5, G6, G7 ThinQ, V20, V30 / V30+
Nokia: 8
OnePlus: 5 / 5T, 6
Razer: Phone
Xiaomi: Blackshark, Mi 5 / 5S / 5S Plus, 6 / 6 Plus, Mi 8 / 8 Explorer / 8SE, Mi Mix, Mi Mix 2, Mi Mix 2S, Mi Note 2
ZTE: Axon 7 / 7s, Axon M, Nubia / Z17 / Z17s, Nubia Z11
To get Fortnite on your phone or iPad, you’ll need to create an Epic Games account. You’ll then be asked to specify your device and join a waiting list. You’ll be emailed when your time has come. Don’t worry, though, you won’t have to take long. It typically takes a day or two for your invitation to arrive via email.
Alternatively, you can be invited by a friend to join. Each user starts with three invite codes to share.
Play Fornite offline?
Can you play Fortnite offline? No. An internet connection is required to play Fornite, there is no offline version.
Fornite on mobile - a beginners’ guide
So, you’ve downloaded and your Fortnite sign-up mobile is complete. You’re all set up. How to play Fortnite on mobile?
The controls (all touch-screen, obviously) are pretty self-explanatory and, frankly, the best way to learn is to get stuck in and start playing.
One hundred players start each game and the object is to be the last person (or team) alive.
There are three Fortnite game modes on mobile:
- Solo - You play alone
- Duos - You play with a team-mate - you can choose a friend or a team-mate will be randomly selected
- Squads - You form part of a team of four - again, you can choose friends or be matched with randomly selected team mates.
- Playground - You have one hour to build, shoot and play - players are respawned if they die. This is a great way to practise and learn how to play Fortnite on mobile.
Once the game starts, that’s it. There’s no pause button on Fortnite.
Fortnite Before the Battlebus
At the start of each game, players are placed in a waiting area while others join the game.
Think of this as time to practice - you can run, jump, build, collect items, shoot and be shot at but nothing you do here will affect what happens when the game starts.
Skydiving from the Battlebus
All players start in the Battlebus before the doors open to skydive down to the island. You can stay in the bus for a short time or wait to pick your spot, and your choice can always be invalidated if fifty other players all dive for the spot you’ve picked out. In this case, you probably want to scramble, and hope to land near some kind of weapon, rather than enter a gunfight armed only with an axe.
You can freefall or just to open your glider, depending on how quickly you want to hit the island. The glider will automatically open when you’re just above the ground to ensure a safe landing, but if you are happy with your LZ, we advise taking the quickest route to the floor. Gliding is useful for changing plans on the fly, but leaves you vulnerable to arriving late when everyone else has already tooled up.
This is your chance to pick a landing spot and plan your attack. Some players prefer to hit the ground as soon as possible, so they get the first chance to collect weapons, but playing the long con is an option if the fast dive seems too risky.
The map has certain areas named, and the larger structures will normally yield better rewards, but be careful, as other players will think the same way, and fight for those same resources. You can dive faster by pressing up on the direction control, to get to the prize first, and slow your ascent by holding back.
Where to find weapons in Fortnite
Each player starts with just one item - the pickaxe. This can be used to hurt and kill opponents but is more practically used to destroy buildings and objects to generate building materials.
Weapons and other useful items, including health replenishers, shields and traps, are most commonly found inside buildings and structures - so it’s wise to land in an area where there’s something to search for. Golden chests containing more powerful weapons, powerups, materials and more are generally found in the attics of buildings around the map, and give an audio cue when the player is close. These are your best bet for quickly arming yourself for battle, and should be sought out at the start of each game.
Different weapons have different characteristics and uses, but there is a basic classification system of power, where colours denote the quality of the gun or item based on their rarity. White is the lowest, or common tier, and gold items are the best around. For a full list of tiers and weapon archetypes, check out Metabomb’s overview below.
The list of weapons in Fortnite on mobile is pretty deep and technical and, as you improve as a player, an understanding of these will be required to get the most out of the game. This overview via Metabomb is useful. Most are found around the map, but periodically drops from the sky will also fall, providing a damage boost to whoever can claim them.
For a beginners’ guide, all you need to know is - get guns and ammo, and don’t die.
Fortnite on mobile: The storm is coming
The other major thing Fortnite beginners need to know about is the storm.
The storm forms and shrinks at regular intervals during the game, with just over three minutes between touchdown and the first contraction, making the map smaller and forcing players closer together in true Battle Royale fashion.
Play takes place within a ‘dome’ that protects you the storm - being caught outside the dome and in the storm itself will rapidly deplete your player’s health and then kill you. Game over, time to queue again.
So, as well as avoiding being killed by other players, staying clear of the storm is vital. (As the playing area shrinks, the next safe area will be marked as a white circle on the map, giving players time to plan their moves and reach safe haven before the circle tightens.) The next eye of the storm is depicted on the map as a white circle - aim to get inside that circle before the storm shrink is complete.
Fortnite dance moves
Of course, no guide to Fortnite would be complete without a mention of Fortnite dance moves. You can make your player dance at any point in the game.
Just make sure there’s no one around to put a bullet in the back of your head while you’re getting down. Or don’t, and go out in style!
Game over
If you’re reading this guide, chances our you haven’t won a Fortnite Battle Royale just yet and your games are typically ending with you being shot or killed in the storm. When you die, you can carry on watching the action from the perspective of the player that ended you, if you haven’t endured enough punishment, or observe your teammates from a fixed camera if you are in groups and so desire.
If you’re a Fortnite beginner, it’s probably worth watching for a while so you can pick up some tips from more experienced players, but until you get boots on the ground the unique blend of combat and construction will seem intimidating.
Fortunately, with new players logging in every day, the learning curve is not as brutal as some games, and there are plenty of players at whatever level you may be. There really is no substitute to playing and figuring it out for yourself. That’s by far the most fun way to learn.
