Fortnite Ranked Play explained: Ranks, rewards, modes, more
Epic GamesFortnite Ranked Play has arrived, which allows players to get competitive and grind through the Ranks to prove themselves. Here’s everything you need to know about Fortnite Ranked Play, including the Ranks and rewards.
Fortnite is one of the most influential and popular free-to-play battle royale games out there, and despite being around for some time, the game’s competitive Arena mode has never taken off.
While Fortnite offers competitive tournaments in-game for players to compete, the game has lacked a popular ranked mode similar to Apex Legends‘, but that is all about to change.
Epic Games have decided to replace Arena with a brand-new Ranked Play mode, which sees Fortnite players test their skills against the rest and grind through the ranks to prove their ability. Here are all of the details on Fortnite Ranked Play for those interested in playing the competitive mode.
- Fortnite Ranked Play release date
- All ranks in Fortnite Ranked Play
- How do you rank up in Fortnite Ranked Play?
- Fortnite Ranked Play rewards
- Fortnite Ranked Play modes & squad sizes
- How does matchmaking work in Fortnite Ranked Play?
Fortnite Ranked Play release date
Fortnite Ranked Play releases on May 17 with the 24.40 update, providing players with a competitive experience that has not been seen in Fortnite before.
The new Fortnite Ranked Play mode follows the “normal Battle Royale Season schedule,” but the mode has launched in a Season Zero state for Chapter 4 Season 2 and will finish at the end of Chapter 4 Season 3.
Season Zero will act as a time for the devs to “make any adjustments to issues and concerns that arise, while also working on additional features and overall improvements for when Ranked starts following the normal Battle Royale Season schedule.”
All ranks in Fortnite Ranked Play
There are a total of eight Ranks in Fortnite Ranked Play, starting at Bronze and going all the way up to Unreal. Check out all of the Ranks in Fortnite Ranked Play below:
- Bronze
- Silver
- Gold
- Platinum
- Diamond
- Elite
- Champion
- Unreal
To start, you must play one match of Fortnite Ranked Play to reveal your starting Rank. The rank you earn will be based on your past match performance, as well as your performance in your first Ranked match for either Battle Royale or Zero Build.
As Zero Build and Battle Royale are separate, you must play a match in each of these modes to reveal your separate Rank for both.
If you’re good enough to reach the Unreal rank, you’ll stay in that rank for the rest of the Ranked Season. Regardless of future performance, you will not drop out of Unreal. However, in Unreal, you will be “given a number signifying your standing among Unreal players globally,” so push yourself to be among the best.
You can check the Fortnite Ranked leaderboards to check the Unreal standings and see who is currently at the top of the standings.
How do you rank up in Fortnite Ranked Play?
You can increase your Rank in Fortnite Ranked Play by placing high in matches and getting eliminations. Your teammate’s eliminations will also aid your progress, while the ranks of the players you and your team eliminate are taken into account.
Further, eliminations towards the end of the game, when there are fewer squads in the match, count for more than eliminations at the start of a game.
Likewise, being knocked out early without racking up enough kills will cause your rank to drop. Aside from Unreal, it is possible to slide out of one Rank and into a lower one.
Epic GamesHow to get Fortnite Ranked Play rewards
Fortnite players who participate in Ranked Play can unlock rewards through Ranked Urgent Quests. Completing these Quests earn you “seasonal cosmetic rewards.” Players will get a new Ranked Urgent Quest each match.
For Season Zero of Fortnite Ranked Play, the final cosmetic reward is the Burn Bright Emote, which shows off your current rank through color.
Fortnite Ranked Play modes & squad sizes
You will be able to play Fortnite Ranked Play in both the Battle Royale and Zero Build modes. For Battle Royale, Fortnite Ranked Play will be available in Solo, Duos, and Squads.
As for Zero Build, the only available squad size is Duos. These squad sizes could change through updates, as Ranked Play is likely to evolve and change a lot through feedback.
How does matchmaking work in Fortnite Ranked Play?
In Fortnite Ranked Play, teams are matched against others and placed in lobbies based on the highest-ranked player on the team. In Solos, you will be matched against opponents “of the same or similar rank,” while in Duos or Squads, you have a “party rank,” which is essentially equivalent to your highest-ranked teammate.
Your team is treated as a “single unit,” so as well as gaining and losing progress equally, the team’s highest-ranked member represented the team’s skill level and therefore indicates the level of players you are matched against.
If you’re new to Fortnite and want to play ranked, you must complete a specific Quest of outlasting 500 opponents before you can play ranked.
That’s all for Fortnite’s upcoming Ranked Play mode. For more, make sure you check out our other guides below:
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