To the surprise of some, Epic Games officially declared that Ranked Play would be debuting inFortniteon May 17, after a slight delay. The game mode has been highly anticipated for years, but developers only recently decided to announce the new option via patch notes. It appears thatFortnite’s Ranked Season Zerois set to end when Chapter 4 Season 3 does, but will continue to be updated and improved over the following seasons.
Chapter 4 Season 2 ofFortniteintroduced a variety of new mechanics to the game which have become a staple of Epic Games' ever-evolving battle royale. The latest Ranked mode is a part of the v24.40 update which comes with new methods of progression and rewards. Because this mode is so fresh, it’s possible that those coming toFortnite,or new to the competitive scene, may be uncertain as to how it works.
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Fortnite’s Ranked System Brings New Stakes
WhileFortnite’s Competitive Arenais being discontinued, it seems that the Ranked Play mode will serve as a new way for players to grind and maintain that competitive spirit. As such, Season Zero has eight separate tiers that categorize players based on their performance. The ladder sees Bronze at the lower end, followed by Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Elite, Champion, and Unreal.
Reaching Unreal is very similar to the Top 500 status inOverwatch 2, as a number is assigned to players indicating their worldwide or regional rank. UnlikeOverwatch 2, however, once a player reaches Unreal inFortnitethey are no longer able to de-rank for the duration of the season. In addition to this, they are displayed on the liveFortniteleaderboard. Players won’t be categorized if they don’t want to be because participating in Ranked is entirely optional. For those that can be distracted by their rank, there is a place in the top left of the UI where players can toggle off the displayed rank.
Competitors only need to play a single game in either Ranked Battle Royale or Ranked Zero Build to see their starting rank since past matches played along with their individual performance are taken into consideration. So far, ranking up duringSeason Zero ofFortnite’s Chapter 4 Season 2is determined by two key elements: what placement the player earns in the match and how many eliminations are accumulated. Further, the later a kill is secured in the game, the more it counts. The rank of the players that are in the party, along with the players on other teams, is also a factor.
Unfortunately, while players are free to play Solo, Duos, or Squads in Ranked Battle Royale,Fortnite’s newer Zero Build modeonly allows for Solos or Duos with no current explanation as to why. When playing with a party, the team will be matched with other teams equivalent to the group’s highest-ranked team member because parties are considered to be a single unit. Progress, or losses, are therefore equal to everyone else’s in the party.
However, if a person is playing alone, then the enemies are of the same or similar rank. Additionally, separate ranks are distributed for either mode which means a player could be an Elite Zero Build player, but Silver in matches that involve materials and building.
Other than grinding through tiers,FortniteRanked players are able to earn rewards for playing matches such as the Burn Bright Emote along with seasonal cosmetic rewards for completing quests. Those with high enough seasonal ranks can also be considered for Epic Game’s tournaments, ranging from FNCS competitions and Icon Series Cups. In time, Epic Games could seeFortnitefeaturing one of the best competitive experiencesin the gaming industry.
Fortniteis available for Mobile, PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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