Fortnite Ranks – Everything You Need to Know

Fortnite has an open tournament system which lets all of its players compete in esports matches. However, it does need to be narrowed down a bit! Fortnite has one of the biggest player bases out there, so how do you find the best Fortnite players to get stacked lobbies? That’s where the Fortnite ranks and Arena mode come in.

The Fortnite ranking system decides which lobby you’ll play in, but they also govern tournaments. To get access to real money Fortnite tournaments you need to be in the right rank. The top-level Arena mode matches are really a place to test out your skills against other high-level players. In the low end of ranks in Fortnite, bots are everywhere. There are kids who don’t know how to build yet and often a player or two attempting a meme strat, it can be frustrating. That’s where getting up the ranks really comes in, you can actually play exclusively with more serious players.

This is what you need to know about the Fortnite ranking system and how it all works:

Fortnite Ranks – All Ranks and Leagues

Fortnite ranks are quite simple for players, at least compared to most games. Ranks only come into play in the main arena competitive mode for Fortnite. Ranking in Fortnite doesn’t affect casual pubs. The ranks are active in Arena and they decide who you play with.

The Fortnite ranked game mode is split into different Leagues. Each of these has ranks inside. You’ll start at the bottom, and as you perform well you rise up the ranks. Once you hit Champions (the top League) You can access all of the tournaments Fortnite has to offer. These are the Ranks in Fortnite:

Fortnite Ranking System

Open League

Open League is the first area for ranks in Fortnite. This is where everyone starts. At the beginning of a season, this rank can still be pretty competitive though as everyone is grinding up after the reset. However, it is largely an easier rank where beginner players are at the beginning of the season.

The only real events that get held for this rank are Hype events. These allow you to win more of the Hype that counts which league you’ll be in. These are the Fortnite ranks in this League

  • Open League Division I – 0 – 249 Hype
  • II – 250 – 499 Hype
  • II – 500 – 999 Hype
  • IV – 1,000-1,499 Hype

Contender League

This section also has three divisions. This is where things heat up a bit. Players can compete in competitions in this rank. There’s Cash Cups and other events that run for this rank, but the big tournaments are still just replaced with Hype Cups here. Contenders is where things get harder for a lot of players. There’s bigger tolls for entering games meaning you can lose hype in this section of the Fortnite ranking system. These are the sections for Contenders:

  • Contender League Division I – 1,500 – 2,499 Hype
  • II – 2,500 – 3,999 Hype
  • III – 4,000 – 5,999 Hype

Champion League

Champion League is the final Fortnite ranks league in Arena Mode. This rank is where things are completely opened up to you. You can play in the FNCS qualifiers, every cash cup, and everything else that pops up. This is definitely the height of competition.

As with the other Leagues, there’s three sub-ranks to play in here. Once you’re at the top there’s no more progression. Since you can’t drop down ranks though there’s no harm in continuing playing. Arena mode still gives you the chance to play against only players in the higher Fortnite ranks too. Better lobbies might lure you back to Arena even once your grind is done.

  • Champions League Division I – 6,000 – 11,999 Hype
  • II – 12,000 – 5,999 Hype
  • III – 16,000+ Hype

How to Move Up Fortnite Ranks – Get More Hype

In the Fortnite ranking system, Hype is the main currency. These are the points that decide which rank you’re in. How exactly can you earn hype in the game though? It comes from playing in the Arena mode. Hype gets awarded depending on your skills and placement, just like in actual tournaments with points. Ranks in Fortnite award both placing high and performing well in the game itself.

One benefit of ranking in Fortnite is the Hype system is opaque. When you queue up for a game, you can see how much Hype you get for each kill and how long you survive.

You get more hype for getting high kill games, along with decent placement. You also lose hype when you enter a game in higher divisions. This means that unless you have a game with a decent result, you may lose hype more often than you gain it. This is called bus fare. These are the amounts that you’ll have to pay for a match in each division:

Fornite Bus Fare

Bus Fare

  • None – Open I – III
  • 10 – Open IV
  • 20 – Contender I
  • 30 – Contender II
  • 40 – Contender III
  • 40 – Champion I
  • 60 – Champion II
  • 70 – Champion III

This scales quite a bit. Once you’re into Champions, you’re going to be loosing a fair amount of Hype when you have a bad drop. You’ll have to keep this in mind if you’re dropping at Tilted every match!

That’s how all of the Fortnite ranks work. The system is pretty simple compared to similar games. Although, the hype does reset every Season which means you’ll have to be devoted to climbing back up to compete every season!