Chapter 1: Entering the Fortnite Universe

CHAPTER 1 Entering the Fortnite Universe 5

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Entering the Fortnite

Universe

ven though it’s one of countless online shooting and survival

games, Fortnite still manages to distinguish itself with its

unique mix of variety and fun. No two matches are ever the

same, and it seems like there’s always something new to discover.

The fact that you can customize your in-game avatar’s appear-

ance, weapons, and, yes, dance moves in all kinds of wacky ways

explains at least part of the game’s charm and why it has such

broad appeal. It’s no wonder that it’s consistently the most

watched game, often by a gap of hundreds of thousands of view-

ers, on live streaming video website, Twitch.tv!

In Save the World mode, you and three other players, either humans

or computer-generated teammates, work towards a common goal

on various missions in a storm-ravaged Earth where 98 percent

of the population has vanished. In this mode, you’re attacked by a

variety of zombie-like monsters referred to as husks, which seem

to explain where all those missing humans have gone. Of course,

you’ll encounter plenty of other monsters along the way, so you’ll

need to build structures, set traps, and gather loot to help your

cause.

Chapter1

IN THIS CHAPTER

» Choosing your platform

» Registering your account

» Installing the game

» Getting to know the game options and

modes

» Purchasing and using V-Bucks

» Getting to know Seasons

» Understanding cross-platform play

COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL

6 Fortnite For Dummies

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Battle Royale is the most popular game mode and the one Fortnite

is most closely associated with. You play alone or in groups to

compete in 100 player battles to be the last person or team stand-

ing. Most of what you need to succeed in Battle Royale can be

applied to the two other major game modes and vice-versa.

In Creative mode, you have access to a private island where you

can assemble and upgrade structures and manipulate objects as

you see t. You can invite friends to your island and try dierent

game types, including racing and obstacle courses. Epic Games

chooses the best creations to be featured in the Creative mode’s

Hub, but you can also enter your own codes to check out the cre-

ations of your choice!

This chapter explains how to get started in Fortnite, how to

choose your platform, the basics of the virtual currency known

as V-Bucks, what Seasons mean, and how cross-platform play

works.

Choosing PC/Mac, Console, or Mobile

Although Fortnite originally started out as a PC exclusive, the

game’s framework was designed in such a way that it made ports

to other platforms practical. These other platforms include Apple

Mac computers, iOS and Android mobile devices, and the Sony

PlayStation 4, Microsoft Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch consoles.

As of this writing, the PC, Mac, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One

platforms support every available game mode. Players on iOS,

Android, and Nintendo Switch systems, on the other hand, do not

have access to the player-versus-environment game mode, Save

the World.

There are other dierences between the various platforms, as

explained in the following subsections.

Considering PC/Mac

A PC or Mac computer is an ideal Fortnite platform. It has every

game mode, as shown in Figure1-1, and you can choose to play

either with a traditional keyboard/mouse combination or with a

game controller.

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Refer to Table 1-1 for minimum and recommended system

requirements. If your computer is closer to the minimum than

recommended requirements, check out Chapter2 for settings you

can adjust to tweak performance.

FIGURE1-1:GamemodeoptionsonthePCversionofFortnite.

TABLE1-1 PC and Mac Minimum and Recommended

System Requirements

SystemComponent Minimum Recommended

OperatingSystem Windows7/8/10

64-bitorMac

OSXSierra

Same

CPU ProcessorCore

i3 2.4 Ghz

ProcessorCorei52.8Ghz

Memory 4GBRAM 8GBRAM

VideoCard IntelHD4000 NvidiaGTX660orAMDRadeon

HD7870equivalentDX11GPU

VideoMemory Shared 2GBVRAM

8 Fortnite For Dummies

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Considering iOS/Android

On a mobile device, Fortnite can be a bit more challenging to play

than it is on some of the other platforms, but it’s still a great way

to game on-the-go or when your computer or console is otherwise

tied up. Although there’s limited support for game controllers,

Fortnite on iOS and Android is designed around the touchscreen

experience, so you don’t need anything other than the smart-

phone or tablet you already have to enjoy the experience.

For Apple iOS devices, you’ll need iOS11 or greater. If you want to

play on an iPhone, you’ll need an iPhone SE, 6S, 7, 8, or X series

device or later. If you want to play on an iPad, you’ll need an iPad

Mini 4, iPad Air 2, 2017, Pro or later. Naturally, the larger the

screen, the better the experience.

As of this writing, Fortnite support on Android devices is still

limited. In fact, Epic Games has chosen to avoid distributing the

game through the Google Play Store, instead making it available

only on its own website through a Fortnite Installer program, as

well as on Samsung’s app store and Game Launcher for owners of

Samsung devices.

For safety reasons, only download the Android version of the

game from the Epic Games website or Samsung’s app store. Any

other source that claims to have the game is likely to try to install

an unrelated program that might compromise the security of your

smartphone or tablet.

You will need to request the installer from the Epic Games website,

or, if you have a Samsung device, from Samsung’s app store, to

determine whether your device is compatible. Generally speaking,

newer, name brand devices that feature at least 64-bit Android

8.0, 3GB of RAM, and a GPU with Adreno 530, Mali-H71 MP20, or

Mali-G72 MP12 have a good chance of being compatible.

Considering PlayStation 4/Xbox One

The only other way to get the full Fortnite experience outside of a

PC is on either PlayStation 4 or Xbox One. Fortnite is compatible

with all PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles, but, as with many

games, visual and other performance improvements may exist

when played on the PlayStation 4 Pro or Xbox One X.Regardless

of the version of console you play it on, all Fortnite features are

available and accessible from the standard gamepad. If you want

CHAPTER 1 Entering the Fortnite Universe 9

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a more PC-like experience, keyboard and mouse support is also

available for both consoles.

For Xbox One owners, you will need to have an Xbox Live account

and an active Xbox Live Gold membership to participate in the

game. For PlayStation 4 owners, you do not need a PlayStation

Plus membership to play the game.

Considering Nintendo Switch

The Nintendo Switch is one of the most popular Fortnite plat-

forms. Thanks to the Switch’s unique ability to play on the go as

well on a TV, it combines some of the best features of the more

advanced console and portable mobile experiences. The Switch’s

standard control conguration for its Joy-Cons is available, but

you can also use the Pro Controller or Motion Controls should

those suit your needs better.

For Nintendo Switch owners, you do not need Nintendo Switch

Online to play the game.

Registering a Fortnite Account

Before you can enjoy Fornite, you should register an Epic Games

account. Although you can go straight to downloading the game

on your platform of choice and registering an account from there,

going through the Epic Games website from a computer’s web

browser gives you the most options, including the ability to more

easily associate additional accounts.

Epic Games is opening its cross-platform game services that

power Fortnite to other developers, so it’s likely that your Epic

Games account will become even more useful in the future.

Follow these steps to register an account on your computer:

1. Go to https://www.epicgames.com/fortnite/.

TheEpicGamesFortnitehomepageopens.

2. Click the Get Fortnite button or menu option.

TheHowWouldYouLiketoPlay?screenappears.

10 Fortnite For Dummies

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3. Click PC/Mac.

TheCreateAccountpageappears.

ClickingPlayStation,Xbox,orSwitchtakesyoutotheFortnite

informationanddownloadpageontherespectiveplatform’s

digitalstore.ClickingMobiletakesyoutoStep4.

4. Fill out all the information requested in the text boxes. If

you have their respective login info handy, you can also

save some time by using your PlayStation, Xbox, Switch,

Facebook, or Google accounts as your sign-in by clicking

on their respective icons above the text boxes.

Althoughcheckingo“Iwouldliketoreceivelatestnewsand

informationonthisproduct.”isoptional,it’srecommended

youdoso.Thefrequencyofemailsisrelativelylow,andit’san

easywaytostayup-to-dateonsomeofthelatestFornite-

relatednews.

5. Click Create Account.

Thedownloadnowbegins.Ifyoudonotwishtoinstallthe

PC/MacversionofFortniteatthistime,cancelthedownload.

With your Epic Games account created, you are now ready to

download and install the game on your platform of choice. Check

out the subsection that follows to nd out how to associate addi-

tional accounts with your Epic Games account, or the next section

for information on installing Fortnite.

Associating Additional Accounts

You can link your Github, Twitch, Xbox, PlayStation Network,

and Nintendo Switch accounts to your Epic Games account. This

can make using those other services and platforms with Fortnite

easier since they will already be associated with your Epic Games

account. To link additional accounts, do the following:

1. Use your web browser to go to https://fortnite.com.

TheFortnitehomepageopens.

2. Click Sign In on the upper right of the page.

TheDoYouAlreadyPlayFortnite?promptappears.

3. Click Yes.

TheWhatDoYouPlayFortniteOn?pageappears.

CHAPTER 1 Entering the Fortnite Universe 11

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4. Click PC/Mac.

5. Enter the email address and password associated with

your Epic Games account.

6. Click Sign In.

Youarenowsignedin.

7. Click your login name in the upper right of the screen

and select Account, as shown in Figure1-2.

ThePersonalInfoscreenappears.

8. Click Connected Accounts on the left-hand side of the

screen.

9. Click Connect under any or all of the relevant listed

accounts to associate those logins with your Epic Games

account.

Installing Fortnite

After you have a registered Epic Games account, you can install

Fortnite on the platform of your choice.

FIGURE1-2:SelectingtheAccountoption.

12 Fortnite For Dummies

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Installing on PC/Mac

The process for installing on PC or Mac computers is similar. Fol-

low these steps:

1. Use your web browser to go to https://fortnite.com.

TheFortnitehomepageopens.

2. Click the Download button on the upper right of the

page, as shown in Figure1-3.

TheHowWouldYouLiketoPlay?Screenappears.

3. Click PC/Mac.

TheCreateAccountpageappears.

4. Click Sign In.

5. Enter the email address and password associated with

your Epic Games account.

6. Click Sign In.

TheThankYouforDownloadingscreenappearsandyour

downloadbegins.

7. Save the Epic Games Installer to the location of your

choice.

8. Go to the Epic Game Installer’s save location and run the

program.

FollowtheremaininginstructionstoinstalltheEpicGames

LauncherandFortnite.

FIGURE1-3:TheDownloadbuttonontheFortnitehomepage.

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Installing on iOS/Android

On your iOS device, visit the App Store and search for Fortnite.

Tap on Get to begin the installation process.

As of this writing, Fortnite for Android is still in the invitation-

only process. To install this version of the game, go to

https://

fortnite.com/android

either on a computer or your Android

device and follow the instructions.

Installing on console

PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch owners can install

Fortnite from the respective online stores directly from those

consoles. If you own PlayStation 4, visit the PlayStation Store. If

you own Xbox One, visit the Xbox Marketplace. If you own Nin-

tendo Switch, visit the Nintendo eShop.

Regardless of console, Fortnite is only available as a digital down-

load and not as a retail game on disc or cartridge. If you do see a

retail version of Fortnite, it will only contain a redemption code

for the digital version of the game, as well as any other bonuses,

like V-Bucks.

Getting to Know the Game

Options and Modes

Save the World, Battle Royale, and Creative are the three main

game options. The most popular game option, Battle Royale, has

a selection of regular game modes, as well as a selection of limited

time modes, or LTMs, which, as the name suggests, appear as an

option only for a set period of time before they are replaced by

something else.

Regular game modes form the core Battle Royale play experience

and feature Solo, Duos, and Squads. LTMs feature dierent weap-

ons, win conditions, and more, but they are usually a Solo, Duos,

or Squads game type. There’s also Playground mode under Battle

Royale, which is a more limited and restricted form of Creative.

14 Fortnite For Dummies

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Understanding Save the World

Save the World, which is available to PC/Mac, PlayStation 4, and

Xbox One players, is what is known as a Player versus Environ-

ment, or PvE, game. Unlike its more popular oshoot, Battle Roy-

ale, which is a Player versus Player, or PvP, game, Save the World

is a cooperative, mission-based game of survival in a destructi-

ble world. You play with up to three other people on a randomly

generated map to ght against a storm, rescue survivors, build

structures, craft weapons, nd loot, and upgrade and expand a

shield device to protect your base of operations.

As of this writing, Save the World is still in early access and

requires a payment of $39.99 for the Standard Edition of the game

mode, and $59.99 for the Deluxe Edition. Epic Games has stated

that they intend to make this mode free to play some time in 2019.

The skills you learn from playing Save the World can be applied to

the rest of the Fortnite experience and vice-versa. For instance, in

all game modes you use a pickaxe to knock down existing struc-

tures and collect resources like wood or metal. Similarly, you use

those harvested materials in all game modes to build and repair

structures like walls, oors, and stairs, although only in Save the

World can you upgrade structures.

As of this writing, Save the World costs money to play, but, like

Battle Royale and Creative, is expected to go free some time in

2019 once Epic Games feels the game mode is more developed.

Understanding Battle Royale

Battle Royale is the Player versus Player, or PvP, game mode that

put Fortnite on the map. You and 99 other players start o in a

ying battle bus, nd a landing spot, then race to collect materi-

als, weapons, and other loot to defeat the other players.

For the Solo game modes, it’s you against 99 other players. (See

Figure1-4.) For Duos, you can team up with a friend (or friendly

stranger) against 49 other teams of two. In Duos, your partner

can revive you if you’re wounded. For Squads, you join a team of

three other players and try and be the last of 25 four-player teams

standing. Squads is usually Fortnite’s most popular mode.

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Playground, which was formerly an LTE, or Limited Time Event,

but is now a permanent addition, lets you play solo or with up to

three other players for a more restriction-free play experience.

You get a much longer time limit than with other modes, allow-

ing you to more freely explore the map, harvest materials, build

things, search for chests, and more. You can still ght, but only

against your other three friends.

With Duos, Squads, and Playground, you need to decide between

Fill or Don’t Fill. With Fill, if you have less than the number of

players needed to form the required team size in a particular

mode, the game will automatically match you up with other play-

ers. If you choose Don’t Fill and don’t have a full team, you will be

going up against other, properly sized groups, at a disadvantage.

Don’t Fill is an unusual option to say the least, but it is an excel-

lent example of how incredibly customizable the Fortnite experi-

ence really is.

Understanding Creative

In Creative mode, you gain access to your own private island,

where you can pretty much design or do whatever you want,

including inviting your friends over for some playtesting. You’ll

have all kinds of materials at your disposal, so you can do more

than just build structures. In fact, this mode is designed around

the concept of creating new game types with the Fortnite engine,

including deathmatches, races, soccer matches, skate parks, are-

nas, and more, as in the example in Figure1-5.

FIGURE1-4:ThebeginningofaSologameonNintendoSwitch,shortlyafter

landing.

16 Fortnite For Dummies

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You can save and load your creations, so you’re free to be as cre-

ative, or destructive, as you like. You can even enter special codes

to load the amazing creations of others, which range from elab-

orately designed adventure mazes to playable mini golf courses

and everything in-between. The possibilities really are staggering

with the versatile Fortnite game engine.

Understanding V-Bucks

Although Fortnite is free to play, it’s more accurately described

as freemium, a portmanteau of “free” and “premium.” What this

means is that the base product is provided free of charge, but

money, in the form of in-game currency known as V-Bucks, is

charged for additional features.

Fortunately, in Fortnite’s case, most of what costs V-Bucks are

cosmetic items like character skins, pickaxes, gliders, emotes

(gestures or dance moves), contrails (skydiving trails), emoticons

(in-game emojis), backpacks, and sprays.

Cosmetics oer no in-game advantages, but they’re still a big

part of Fortnite. The more cosmetics you have available, the more

personalized you can make your character and overall in-game

experience. It’s all part of the fun and a great way to support con-

tinued development of the game.

Although you can unlock V-Bucks and quite a few cosmetics

free-of-charge through dedicated play, you’ll likely still need

FIGURE1-5:ThebeginningofCreativemodeonPlayStation4.

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to make a direct V-Bucks purchase on occasion to acquire some

of the more interesting items, or to acquire a popular season-

specic rewards bundle known as a Battle Pass.

Purchasing V-Bucks

All V-Bucks purchases take place through the in-game Store tab,

as shown in the example in Figure 1-6, or the respective Play-

Station 4 or Xbox One digital marketplaces. As of this writing, a

minimum 1,000 V-Bucks purchase costs $9.99. You can also buy

larger bundles of V-Bucks, which come with bonus V-Bucks. For

instance, 2,500 V-Bucks plus a 300 V-Buck bonus for $24.99 or

10,000 V-Bucks plus a 3,500 V-Buck bonus for $99.99.

If you see oers online for free V-Bucks, it’s probably a scam.

Visiting websites or clicking links that claim to oer free V-Bucks

or V-Buck generating tools is unsafe. It’s best to purchase

V-Bucks directly from the in-game store, or, if you’re playing on a

PlayStation 4 or an Xbox One, their ocial digital stores.

It’s important to keep in mind that V-Bucks purchased on one

platform may not be redeemable on other platforms. Purchase

V-Bucks on the platform you plan to spend it on. Fortunately,

FIGURE1-6:V-Bucksoptionsin-gameonanAppleiPad.

18 Fortnite For Dummies

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after spending your V-Bucks on that specic platform for cosmet-

ics or a Battle Pass, those items will then be available to you on any

other platform you play Fortnite on as long as use the same login.

Spending V-Bucks

V-Bucks can be spent in Save the World, Battle Royale, or Crea-

tive. Keep in mind, however, that items bought in Save the World

don’t transfer to Battle Royale/Creative, and vice-versa.

In Save the World, you can purchase Llama Pinata card packs that

contain weapon and trap schematics, as well as new Heroes and

more. In Battle Royale and Creative you can purchase new cus-

tomization items for your Hero, glider, or pickaxe.

Fortnite works on the concept of themed seasons, like Season 8’s

pirate-related theme. Buying a Battle Pass for the current season,

which costs 950 V-Bucks as of this writing, allows you to unlock

season-specic rewards the more you play. You can also level

up faster with a Battle Pass by completing Weekly Challenges to

unlock additional rewards like outts, wraps, emotes, pets, and

other exclusive cosmetics.

If you’re in a particular rush to get an initial set of season-

specic cosmetics, you can purchase what is called a Battle

Bundle, which costs 2,800 V-Bucks as of this writing, and includes

the Battle Pass and an instant unlock for the next 25 tiers of expe-

rience points, cosmetics, and V-Bucks. You can also buy up to 100

tiers, each for 150 V-Bucks. Otherwise, to unlock over 100 rewards

worth over 25,000 V-Bucks, you’ll need to play a particular sea-

son for at least 75 to 150 total hours.

Getting to Know Seasons

Seasons are Fortnite’s way of introducing new features and cos-

metics, the latter of which is typically tied to a larger theme, on a

regular schedule. Because each season lasts only around 10 weeks,

it’s a great way to keep the game fresh and encourage its players

to play as much as possible to unlock all the cosmetics they can

before they’re no longer available.

Fortnite’s Battle Royale reward system, the Battle Pass, is closely

associated with its seasons. However, the Battle Pass itself wasn’t

even introduced until Season 2, based as it was on the progression

CHAPTER 1 Entering the Fortnite Universe 19

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system introduced in Season 1. And although the Battle Pass costs

V-Bucks, you can still unlock a subset of items for no cost with

the Free Pass. Nevertheless, many players and references often

conate both the Battle Pass and Free Pass under “Battle Pass.”

Seasons can sometimes bring big changes to the map. Keep an eye

out for unusual happenings in a particular season. For instance, in

Season 3, a mysterious meteor appeared in the sky. This meteor

destroyed the map area known as Dusty Depot, turning it into

Dusty Divot for Season 4, as well as creating smaller craters

throughout other areas.

Although it’s not necessarily critical to know when past seasons

ran, what their themes were, or what they introduced, it’s still

interesting to see how the game has progressed, giving some

sense of where future seasons may be headed. Check out Table1-2

for the highlights of Seasons 1–8.

TABLE1-2 Highlights for Seasons 1–8

Season Schedule Theme KeyAdditions

1 October25,

2017–December13,2017

None Leaderboard,

toggletargeting

2 December14,

2017–February21,2018

Medieval TheBattlePass,Map

additions,

emotes,emoticons

3 February22,

2018–April30,2018

Outer

Space

Loadingscreens,weekly

challenges,contrails

4 May1,2018–July12,2018 UrbanSuper

Heroes

Jetpacks,hoprocks,

shoppingcarts,sprays,

weeklyloadingscreens,

progressiveoutts

5 July12,2018–

September27,2018

Worlds

Collide

Toys,desertbiome,rifts

forteleportation

6 September27,

2018–December6,2018

Darkness

Rises

Pets,music

7 December6,

2018–February28,2019

Winter

Wonderland

Creativemode,wraps,

animatedloadingscreens,

X-4Stormwingplane

8 February28,

2019–May8,2019

Pirates Junglebiome,volcano,

lava,piratecannons,pirate

campsites,buriedtreasure

20 Fortnite For Dummies

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Understanding Cross-Platform Play

A typical problem with online videogames is the issue of bridging

platforms. Your friends or family members may own the same

game as you, but if they own a dierent system, you’re unlikely

to be able to play with or against each other. Fortnite is the very

rst game that solves this problem by allowing cross-platform

between today’s computers, consoles, and mobile devices, with

the last holdout, Sony, nally getting with the program and

allowing an exception for Fortnite on PlayStation 4.

Regardless of the platform you’re playing on, as mentioned ear-

lier in this chapter, you need an Epic Games account for cross-

platform play, as well as to synchronize your progress between

systems. If you or your friends and family are signed up only on

a specic platform’s account, then that account will need to be

linked to an Epic Games account to join in on the cross-platform

fun. All but Solo mode games, which, by denition, exclude teams,

are available for cross-platform play.