Fortnite Ranks are the big divider in the player base, what determines the skill level of a player! How does the Fortnite Ranked system work and how hard is it to actually climb upwards?
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Fortnite might have a huge player base, but a good number of them take things seriously. There are Fortnite tournaments nearly every day, but the Fortnite Ranks are the main way of testing your skills against other players. The Ranked mode is a different playlist entirely. A separate Battle Royale that you queue up into. There, you’ll face players closer in skill to yourself. Supposedly fewer bots, and a reward or penalty for performance in each and every game.
The Fortnite Ranks and ranking system have developed quite a bit over the seasons that its been in the game. The exact things that decides if you’re going up or down in the ranks aren’t public, but we have a good idea of the system that underpins it. This is how the Fortnite Ranks all work:
All Fortnite Ranks
Before there’s any point looking into how your Fortnite Ranked tier changes, there’s the ranks themselves. Fortnite Ranks are divided up into divisions, and in some ranks there are tiers between them. They have the typical naming of a ranked system, but with some Epic-specific changes on the higher end. These are the Fortnite Ranks and what each means:
Bronze
- Tiers 1, 2, 3
This is the base level of Fortnite Ranks. It’s where you enter. A lot of players won’t spend too much time down here since the game makes progress through the ranks a little lighter in the early side. Bronze is still eligible for things like the Fortnite Ranked Cups though.
Silver
- Tiers 1, 2, 3
The next one up. This one also has three tiers. Players will get put here pretty frequently after placement matches. It keeps you out of bronze even for the opening, but it’s another lower down rank. There’s plenty of people using Simple Edits or even just not building down here.
Gold
- Tiers 1, 2, 3
Gold is getting up there a bit. In the opening of the season, this rank is usually a bit bigger in Fortnite ranked distribution too. Although, it empties back out towards the end of most seasons.
Platinum
- Tiers 1, 2, 3
This is where things get a bit more serious. Platinum should have mostly real players in it, so fewer bot match ups compared to early parts of the Fortnite ranking system.
Diamond
This is the final one of the Fortnite ranks which has unique tiers. After this, progression gets more difficult but each rank is a single one. Complete it and you head to the next. These are the remaining ranks:
Elite
Champion
Unreal
Unreal is definitely the height, but up there there’s also a kind of leaderboard for players with outside trackers. So, players can still try to improve from there. And you can always try to enter Fortnite tournaments afterwards too.
Although, getting to Unreal isn’t always a pure measure of Fortnite skill. Most of the top Fortnite Trios in tournaments don’t grind out Ranked beyond a certain point. Ranked’s system of rewarding gameplay has led to a different style of play than tournaments, so it’s a slightly different skill set. Similarly, there’s big differences between dominating in pubs and getting better at Fortnite Ranked. It all starts with your placement matches.
Fortnite Ranked Placement
Your placement in Fortnite is reset once a season, when a new season begins. Unlike some other games, you don’t get a long term Ranked. Progress is reset constantly! On one hand this does mean there’s always some grinding to do. However, on the other it can be frustrating if you’ve finally reached where you wanted to in the Fortnite Ranks then the season ends.
What Changes Your Fortnite Rank?
This is where the Fortnite Ranked system gets tricky. Chapters ago, we got a proper system where everything had a point value and you knew why you went up or down. We also got the tournament Fortnite loot pool in that mode too, but Ranked replaced arena. Now Fortnite has a completely hidden Ranked system.
Essentially, we know performing well moves you up higher in the Fortnite Ranks. Playing badly moves you down. But the game keeps the exact value and equation completely to itself. We don’t get a clear idea. This has meant some players figure out unique strategies, like taking storm damage to minimize damage from players. There are ways to climb in Fortnite Ranked without just winning games.
If you’re playing properly, then going through the Fortnite Ranks comes down to winning and putting the games in. There isn’t a secret formula. Many players have success in playing a bit safer until they secure some placement though. Making sure there’s something gained from every game and cutting down on deaths off spawn.
