How Do the Fortnite Storm Mechanics Work?

One of the most iconic parts of Fortnite is the storm. It’s not just window dressing, it’s one of the most important parts of the game. The Fortnite storm mechanics are key to understanding how Fortnite works.

The storm is the big thing that stands between Fortnite and other games. It’s absolutely key to the Battle Royale formula. It’s what pushes players to close in together. Moving closer as the storm gets further in, making sure players have to fight to survive. There’s more Fortnite storm mechanics than just avoiding it though. You’ve got Storm Surge, Storm Sickness, plenty of other ways the storm can harm players without getting trapped in it. Especially in Fortnite tournaments. These are the key Fortnite storm mechanics explained:

Fortnite Storm Mechanics Explained

The Storm

The storm in its most basic form was added at the very start of Fortnite. It’s the mechanic that pushes players closer together as the game goes on, similar to other mechanics in Battle Royale games. It is an electrical storm of some kind, purple in color, and seemingly otherworldly in Fortnite lore. It’s a ring which will gradually close as the game goes on.

To begin with, the storm ring is so wide that everyone is safe. By the end of the game though, it can close completely. Leaving no room away from the storm.

When you’re in the storm, you’ll take storm damage regularly. This is called Tick Damage. Since the storm damage is dealt on a certain interval, or a tick. The damage it does increases as the safe zone or circle gets smaller.

The Fortnite Storm Mechanics starts at 1 per tick, and goes up to serious damage. These are the key storm phases and the damage it deals:

• Cirlce 1-5 – 1 Damage Per Second
• Circle 6 – 2 Damage Per Second
• Circle 7 – 5 Damage Per Second
• Circle 8 – 8 Damage Per Second
• Circle 9-12 – 10 Damage Per Second

What is the Eye of the Storm?

Outside of the storm, is the eye of the storm. This is the terminology that Epic uses for the safe area. Although, most players use circle or zone. Sometimes you’ll see the safe area referred to as the Eye of the Storm. But it’s not exactly the callouts you’ll hear watching the best Fortnite trios or anything.

Out Healing the Storm

The first thing most players likely figure out as they look through the Fortnite storm damage numbers, is that it could be possible to out heal it. You’re not the first person to discover it. At various points in Fortnite’s history, certain healing metas have made it possible to out heal the storm damage, sitting in safety and just waiting for the game to end.

This was a particularly popular move when we had a lake that auto-healed and plenty of floppers for white meds too. It still took some work though. You’re essentially banking on the last player being too incompetent to stay alive until the storm closes all the way.

If you really stock up on white meds, find campfires, and maybe are blessed with one of the auto-heal medallions or augments we’ve seen introduced, it can be done. For the vast majority of Fortnite games though, it doesn’t work. Sitting in the storm is no counter for the best Fortnite weapons either.

Epic’s added numerous extra Fortnite storm mechanics to make sure that hiding in a storm isn’t possible.

Storm Sickness

One Fortnite mechanic in there to directly prevent you from healing in the storm for too long is Storm Sickness. Even if you keep your HP topped up, there is something wrong about the storm. It’ll still poison you.

Players will contract Storm Sickness if they stay in there for too long. These are the thresholds for Storm Sickness:

• 500 Damage from Storm – Warning
• 600 Damage – Storm Sickness begins, you take extra damage
• 1000 Damage – You die

Once you get the warnings, it’s essentially the Fortnite storm mechanics telling you to go back to the circle and fight. You’ll die fast if you don’t. Storm Sickness accelerates the damage you take, so you’ll end up getting to 1000 and an easy death very quickly.

Storm Surge

There is another mechanic which is built to combat certain “unwanted” playstyles in Fortnite. Storm Surge isn’t to do with damage in the storm though, it gives you a permanent storm damage condition if you’re not taking enough fights. If a Battle Royale game gets to a particular circle with more players alive than there should be (indicating too much hiding), Surge activates.

Once active, the players below a damage threshold will take automatic storm damage even if they’re not in the storm. It can add up quickly. The threshold is somewhere within the average damage done by the lobby.

The goal is to eliminate the players who are hiding, not fighting. However, the threshold for too many players is high. It’s activated extremely rarely in normal Fortnite games. But it is active in nearly every pro Fortnite game.

Storm Surge in Fortnite Esports

If you’re tuning into an FNCS Major or any other tournament, you’ll see Storm Surge. Since these tournaments scoring emphasizes staying alive, a lot more players make later circles than they should. The Fortnite Storm Surge mechanic turns on all the time because of this.

You’ll routinely see teams playing not to the rules of the tournament, but storm surge. Trading damage pointlessly back and forth to increase their damage dealt. The teams in stacked later circle with high damage already done are protected from Surge. That deals damage to competitors for one thing. But it also forces you to take fights to stay alive, while taking damage. Pushing players into no win situations.

Storm Surge is one of the most important mechanics in Fortnite esports. Lately, players have even said it’s too strong in the meta. But as of Major 3, Epic and Blast Haven’t decided to change the rules about it yet.