10 Mistakes Beginners Usually Make in Fortnite

So, you’re tired of being obliterated a few minutes into every round. Don’t worry; you’ve just fallen for Fortnite’s deceptive simplicity. Behind the bubble gum art style and crazy dance memes lies a surprisingly complex shooter.

Just remember that every pro player and cracked builder savant was a noob once — your journey is just beginning!

One of the quickest ways to get better at something is through conscious learning. That means playing with the intent to improve your mechanical skills and eliminate bad habits.

This list of the 10 mistakes beginners usually make in Fortnite is designed to help you see what errors you may be making so you can get a headstart towards becoming a better player.

Pay attention to when you make these mistakes (and as a beginner, you definitely will make a few!) and make a conscious effort to stop doing them.

Not Scanning the Skies

One of the first things you learn is that the drop zones with the highest-quality loot are also the most dangerous places to land at the start of a round. That’s why most beginners tend to avoid them entirely.

There’s nothing wrong with going for the best drop zones in Fortnite, so long as you scan the skies to see who else intends to land there, too.

As you’re diving to the ground, spin your camera around to get a good look at how many people want to hit the same spot as you. Watch who’s touching the ground before you and where. Then plan where you want to land accordingly.

Rushing Into Battle

One thing new players love to do is dive headlong into firefights. Hey, we get it — that’s how most shooters are played, right? But while shooting is definitely a big part of Fortnite’s gameplay, it’s only one piece of the whole.

Always keep in mind that your goal in Fortnite Battle Royale isn’t to drop as many players as you can.

The last man standing wins the Victory Umbrella, and that means survival is the name of the game. So, while it can be a lot of fun to throw caution to the wind and go in guns blazing, you’ll last longer by sitting back and playing it safe.

And, perhaps surprisingly, you might even get more kills since you’re not announcing your position every time you hear a gun go off.

Wasting Medkits

There are two big reasons why you should save your Medkits:

1. Medkits are uncommon, so you should only use them when you really need to.
2. The healing animation is very, very long.

Most of the time when you want to heal, you’ll only be down a few dozen points. Spending your Medkit to heal up 20 or 30 points is inefficient and a waste of a good Medkit.

Additionally, using a Medkit triggers a long animation that leaves you vulnerable to enemy fire. You’re basically a sitting duck while waiting for the Medkit to kick in.

Hurting Themselves with Splash Damage

Explosive weapons do what’s called “splash” damage, or damage that is applied to an area around the point of contact. Any enemies caught in the splash radius (or “blast” radius) will take damage, making something like the Rocket Launcher really useful when facing groups of enemies.

What new players don’t realize is that splash damage also deals self-damage. So, save those Dynamite sticks and Rockets for mid to long-range fights, because spamming explosives at close range is a quick and easy way to eliminate yourself from the match.

Chasing Drops and Drones

Supply Drops and fallen Drones contain some of the best loot and gear you’ll find in the game. You can tell who the beginners are by watching who makes an instant beeline for the Drops and Drones.

Instead of going straight for the goods, veterans will camp in the area around Drops and Drones and carefully watch and wait for movement. Usually, they’ll find one or two new players eager to get their hands on that Orange and Gold loot and take them out.

Also read: How to Gain XP Quickly and Efficiently in Valorant

Not Using the Falcon Scout

Beginner players always forget about the Falcon Scout. Yes, you can use it to scout out enemy positions or seek out valuable loot positions, but it’s useful for more than simple recon.

The Falcon Scout can grab items and take them to you, but did you know it can also grab loot from within the Storm? It doesn’t take damage, too, so take advantage of the Scout to grab the gear dropped by players who’ve been eliminated just at the border of the Storm.

The Falcon Scout can also be used to track the Pinata, making it easier for you to chase down and destroy that annoying llama for the goods within.

Hiring NPCs

Imagine this. It’s down to the last few players, and the storm is closing in. You see an opportunity to spend a bit of Gold and recruit an NPC. After all, two guns are better than one, right?

While more firepower certainly sounds good on paper, the NPC AI is bad enough to actually bring your chances of winning down. Recruitable NPCs simply run in and start blasting if it spots an enemy in range. In the last moments of a game, the last thing you want is to draw unnecessary attention to yourself.

Save your Gold. Don’t hire NPCs.

Forgetting to Choose Augments

Don’t feel bad if you’re guilty of this; even many older players forget about this feature. Augments add small but noticeable changes to the way you play. You can have up to two at any time, but you can replace an augment if you roll one that’s better.

Certain augment combinations are quite strong. Others are pretty weak. But whatever the case, augments always provide at least some improvement to your combat ability, so you should always have some equipped.

Also read: Settings to Change for the Best Performance in Valorant

Spamming the Dash Button

This mistake often goes hand in hand with the second tip about rushing into battle. Players new to Fortnite, especially those coming in from a more traditional shooter experience like Call of Duty, tend to run at full blast wherever they go.

This style of play doesn’t work in Fortnite, as dashing consumes Stamina, which is used to perform actions like your secondary attack or swinging a melee weapon.

Don’t go the opposite extreme and just casually walk everywhere, but learn to dash in bursts and use your regular run for most of your movement. When you find yourself in the middle of an ambush or at the edge of the Storm, you’ll be glad to have the Stamina for the sprint to safety.

Skybasing Without a Bush Bomb

Beginners tend to love skybasing (building bases in the sky) because not only does it look cool, but it just feels safer being up that high. If you’re the type who likes to build upwards, don’t forget to carry a Bush Bomb with you.

The Bush Bomb deploys a bush wherever you fire it, which you can land in to prevent fall damage. There’s nothing more frustrating (and hilarious) than watching a beginner spend five minutes building a tower only to be pushed off the edge and fall to their death.

Those were the 10 mistakes beginners make in Fortnite. Don’t be embarrassed if you’ve done one or more of the things in this article. Knowing what you’re doing wrong is the first step to getting better! Additionally, if you would like to have an improved gameplay experience, you could top up your Fortnite account with Xbox Live Gift Card, available at OffGamers here.

Now armed with this wisdom, go forth and conquer Fortnite with swagger. Remember, avoiding these rookie errors will boost your chances of sweet victory!

Article contributed by Sarah Paul, a content outreach writer for OffGamers.
About Sarah Paul: I foster relationships between gaming enthusiasts and gaming developers to create relevant content for gamers worldwide. I also happen to be a passionate writer and certified night owl.

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