How to win Fortnite – Tips to get better & secure a Victory Royale

Fortnite rose in popularity due to the simplicity of its Battle Royale format, making it accessible to a wide audience — but to stand a chance of winning your next match, mastering its mechanics and strategies is vital for gaining that competitive edge.

Whether you’re aiming to dominate the classic Battle Royale mode, excel in Zero Build, or rise through the ranks in Ranked, here are 17 essential tips and tricks to help you get better, win Fortnite, and claim that coveted Victory Royale in your matches.

1. Find the best landing spots

Dexerto / Epic Games

If you are still learning, leave the Battle Bus late and drop somewhere calm. Loot first, fight later, and
aim for POIs away from the flight path. A

Generally speaking, you’ll want to at least land near a POI or landmark as they have more weapons and ammo than desolate areas. Choose one far away from the Battle Bus’ flight path and there will be fewer people there.

For more recommendations on where to land, check out the best landing spots in Fortnite.

2. Keep a good range of weapons in your loadout

As soon as you land on the Island, the first thing you should be doing is looking for weapons. You’ll need at least one to defend yourself, but why stop there? You should keep searching chests to find the most powerful weapons as you progress through the match to help you win Fortnite.

A good loadout is like a balanced meal: everything in its place. Bring something for each range, a rifle for distance, a shotgun or SMG for close quarters, and a healing slot for emergencies. Upgrade as you go. Flexibility wins fights more often than brute force.

Check out our tier list of the best Fortnite weapons you can get during your matches.

3. Learn how to build properly

Building is Fortnite’s heartbeat. It looks chaotic from the outside but it’s really just timing, rhythm, and practice. Gather wood, stone, and metal early. Wood builds fast, metal lasts longer. Use ramps for height, walls for cover, and a cube for safety while you heal. Practice when no one’s watching, or try Zero Build if it’s just not for you.

4. Listen out for enemy footsteps

Sound is information. Footsteps tell you everything: who’s coming, where they are, whether they’re above or below. Put on headphones, block the noise of the outside world, and you’ll start to feel the match differently.

5. Change sensitivity settings

While Fortnite’s default settings are a solid starting point for most players, tweaking them to suit your unique playstyle can significantly enhance your performance. After all, no two players are the same.

One of the biggest changes you can make is the sensitivity of your controller or mouse. This will help steady your movement when aiming and get those all-important headshots, which deal a lot more damage than regular body shots. You can also change your building preferences.

To access these settings, click the gear icon in the top right corner while you’re in-game or waiting in the lobby. Here, you can adjust sensitivity levels and more.

6. Hide until the final moments of a match

Some players hate it, but hiding is one of the smartest ways to win. Staying quiet near the edge of the storm keeps you out of sight and out of trouble. Avoid busy POIs, move only when you need to, and let the chaos burn itself out before you step in.

Use that time to get ready. Gather materials, heal up, and build a loadout you can trust in the final circles. When there are only a few players left, that’s your moment. Move carefully, keep your eyes open, and take control without rushing.

High ground changes everything. If you can climb, do it. If not, use trees, rocks, or buildings for cover.

7. Take cover as much as possible

If you want to win in Fortnite, mastering the art of taking cover is crucial. Whether you’re out in the open or navigating a POI, make the most of your surroundings to stay hidden. Crouching can help you avoid detection, but keep in mind that Fortnite doesn’t offer a prone option.

Fortunately, Fortnite’s Battle Royale island is full of objects you can use for cover, such as buildings, walls, trees, rocks and even non-moving vehicles. This becomes even more critical when trying to win solo matches, where you don’t have teammates to watch your back.

8. Learn from your mistakes

One of the most important things you can do in Fortnite is to embrace the learning curve. In your first few games, you’ll likely make plenty of mistakes—landing in high-traffic areas only to be eliminated quickly or accidentally building structures when you meant to shoot (trust us, we’ve been there).

The best way to improve is by reviewing your replays, which you can find in the ‘Career’ section of the lobby. Here, you’ll see recordings of your recent matches, allowing you to analyze what went wrong and identify areas for improvement.

9. Use utility items

Let’s be honest. How many times have you thrown away a utility item just so you can add another weapon to your slot? While it’s true that, ideally, you should carry some of the best weapons, utility items can also offer a lot of advantages during fights.

Fortnite is more than just loading your gun and start shooting at your enemies. You’ll need to outsmart them as well, and that’s where these items come in handy. For example, you can use the Boogie Bomb to stop them from attacking you, and if they happen to be standing near a cliff, slide-kick them to their death.

Port-A-Fort is also a solid choice, especially if you often find yourself stuck in an awkward location in the final circle. You can either use this as a cover or to scout your surroundings — and you’ll know if someone is coming after you from below because they’ll have to jump on the tires.

10. Hire NPCs

Some of Fortnite’s NPCs can be located and hired to help you out in battles. They also often have different useful abilities, such as being able to heal you, reveal enemies, and so much more, making them an excellent addition to your team.

Additionally, if none of your teammates are around when you’re downed, you can have the NPC revive you instead. You’ll just have to head to their POI and either spend gold or defeat them and hire them.

The only downside of having an NPC joining you is that sometimes they may accidentally reveal your position.

11. Know when to engage

Just because you’ve heard a gunfight nearby, it doesn’t mean that you have to join the fight immediately. Let’s say you heard a gunfight nearby. When this happens, you’ll want to check your surroundings before you engage.

Most of the time, when you think you can join to finish them off, another player will likely pop out behind you and finish you off, sending you back to the lobby. So, it’s always important to be patient and know when you should engage.

12. Be aware of the storm circle at all times

The only real rule in Fortnite is simple: survive. Yet it’s easy to forget that while chasing fights or loot, the storm is quietly closing in. It hits harder each round, and before you know it, you’re running for your life instead of fighting for it.

Avoiding it sounds simple enough. Move away from the storm, use a launch pad or vehicle if you have to. But the players who reach the final circle aren’t just reacting, they’re planning. Check your map often. Think ahead. The smaller the zone gets, the fewer safe spots you’ll find.

Pick your next move before everyone else does. Maybe it’s a nearby house or a patch of tall grass. Get there early, settle in, and let the storm push the others toward you.

13. Watch professional players

There’s a reason why pro players earn their titles and popularity in the competitive scene: They are just really good at the game. Of course, trying to learn from your mistakes by watching your replay is great, but it’s also ideal to check out how professional Fortnite players secure Victory Royales.

It’s not just about seeing which guns they pick or taking notes of their strategies. By watching these kinds of players, you’ll also get to see how they make decisions throughout the game.

This is really important as Fortnite isn’t just about having the best aim in the lobby. Knowing whether or not you should rotate to another POI or position yourself can be crucial to outlasting all the other players.

14. Don’t force yourself to reboot unless necessary

We’ve all been there. You’re mid-loot when gunfire breaks out and your teammates drop before you can reach them. The instinct is to rush in, grab their cards, and sprint to the nearest Reboot Van.

But that’s usually how you get sent back to the lobby. Enemies know you’ll come for the cards, so they wait. Before you charge in, think about whether it’s worth it. Sometimes, the smarter move is to stay alive.

Even if you do grab the cards, rebooting makes a lot of noise and paints a target on your back. If the area isn’t clear, focus on surviving instead. Stay quiet, third-party when you can, and clutch the win. Your teammates still get the victory either way.

15. Kill Bosses to Retrieve Medallions

If you want better odds of winning, go after the bosses. Each one drops powerful loot that can give you an edge in the final circles. These items often come with unique perks such as faster movement, shield regeneration, or bonus health after eliminations.

Be warned, though, taking down a boss isn’t easy, and their drops usually reveal your location to everyone nearby. If you decide to hunt them, do it fast, grab what you need, and move before the rest of the lobby shows up.

16. Practice with custom maps

Grinding regular Battle Royale can be frustrating if you’re trying to get better at aiming and building. Yeah, you get hands-on experience fighting enemies, but half the time, you won’t even get a chance to shoot or build.

You could get knocked out before your first kill or even before grabbing any loot. Things like these tend to happen all the time in a real match. That’s where custom maps come to the rescue.

Pick a map that fits what you want to practice, like aim-training maps to warm up, or build battles to sharpen your mechanical skills. This way, you get solid practice without wasting hours getting sent back to the lobby.

17. Pick skins that make you harder to spot

There’s a reason why the customizable Superhero skins are among the best sellers and most popular ones to date. 

Their solid color makes them blend well pretty much anywhere on the map, and with no extra accessories or clutter filling your screen while on ADS, the easier you get to see and track your enemies.

Of course, it’s not a secret that not everyone is a fan of this method. But if you’re aiming for a more stealthy playstyle, choosing a skin that helps you camouflage while keeping your screen clear can make all the difference.

Ultimately, winning Fortnite really comes down to practice, practice, and more practice — but with these tips and tricks, you’ll be well on your way to racking up those Victory Royales.

You’ll also need to keep updated on any changes to Fortnite, which you can do by checking out our complete lists on every new, unvaulted, and vaulted weapon, as well as where to find all NPC characters and mythic weapons during your matches.