Fortnite has an open tournament system that lets all of its players compete in esports matches. However, since Fortnite has one of the biggest player bases out there, they need to narrow it down a bit. How do you find the best Fortnite players to get stacked lobbies? That’s where the Fortnite Ranked mode comes in.
The Fortnite ranking system decides which lobby you’ll play in, it’s the mode to switch to if you want to play against those exclusively at your own skill level. The top-level Ranked mode matches are the best place to test out your skills against other high-level players. In the low end of ranks in Fortnite, bots are everywhere but higher up you get serious competition. Ranked has had some big changes over the last few seasons, but it’s still the main mode for Fortnite esports.
This is what you need to know about the Fortnite ranking system, the point system, resets, and how does Fortnite Ranked work?
Source: Mavink
The Fortnite Ranked system is a different take on competitive for the Battle Royale. It’s a big change from the old Arena mode. It’s still a separate playlist though, you’ll launch into a Fortnite lobby populated by others playing ranked. As you play, you’ll earn more points in the ranked mode depending on your performance. It’s selected through a single playlist button now, switching between ranked and unranked.
On top of that, there’s now more than one form of Ranked. We’ve got Battle Royale/Zero Build, along with Fortnite Reload and even Rocket Racing.
The Fortnite ranks themselves are the system for dividing players up. These govern what lobby you’ll be in and the caliber of enemy you’ll face. You get assigned a rank after a few placement matches, and from then each game will count towards it. If you have a game with high kills and placement, you’ll gain points to go up in rank. The opposite happens for a bad game. Ranked is now available for Battle Royale and Zero Builds, but you’ll have a separate rank for each. Same if you’re jumping into Rocket Racing Ranked mode.
The Fortnite ranked game mode is split into different Leagues. Each of these has different tiers inside it, so you get an exact placement across all Fortnite ranks. You’ll start at the bottom, and as you perform well you rise up the ranks. Once you hit Unreal (the top League in the Fortnite ranked system), you can access all of the tournaments Fortnite has to offer. These are the Fortnite ranks in order:
Source: Epic Games
Those are all of the Fortnite Ranked levels, how does the system actually work though? Going up or down the ranks depends on the points earned. However, you’ve also got to keep in mind that we’ve got occasional Fortnite rank resets that happen in every game mode. This is how these factors affect your Fortnite ranks.
Fortnite Ranked Mode puts you in clearly defined lobbies. How else is it different from the mainline Fortnite though? In terms of the gameplay, it’s the same as pubs now. It used to have its own playlist, with different loot. However, the loot is the same and there is no siphon. At least, most of the time.
Epic’s been experimenting recently. They’re trailing siphon in Ranked at the moment. We don’t know if it’ll be permanent, but right now, siphon is active. On every kill, you’ll gain a little bit of shield or HP to replenish you. To encourage fights so third partying teams don’t get such easy kill.
The only permanent difference right now is that players drop a minimum number of mats when killed and the farming rate is slightly increased. The gameplay is the same, but you’ll move around the Fortnite rank list depending on your performance. In the past, Epic excluded some items from Ranked but outside of really crazy seasons like C5 S3, they’ve avoided this more lately.
The Fortnite Ranked Point System is the most important mechanic to understand about the Fortnite Ranked mode. It’s what points you earn that decide which rank you’re in. In the past Fortnite has been quite clear about how you earn points, placement, killings, and some other objectives like claiming the rift in POI. Since the change to Fortnite Ranked mode from Arena, the ranked system doesn’t have a public point system anymore.
Players do get some points for eliminations. However, the amount isn’t clear. It really depends on who you’re eliminating. Those above you in the ranked mode give more points, and those below fewer.
The point system and how you rank up really just depends on how you perform against similar players. It’s frustrating to not know how much you’re going up until the end of the game. However, it is geared to have players mainly make decent progress after most games.
Epic has been clear since they launched Fortnite Ranked mode, that ranks won’t last forever. It isn’t tied to each Battle Royale season anymore, at least not at the start. Most of Chapter 4 was Ranked Season 0. The current Fortnite update moved us onto Chapter 5, where the Fortnite ranks have been reset.
In the future, we’ll likely see more Fortnite Ranked resets. The most likely time is just after the launch of a new season. You’ll have to keep an eye on what Epic announces in the future here.
Source: Epic Games
More recently, Epic has added Ranked as a playlist option to their second biggest game; Fortnite Reload. The Battle Royale in mini form can now be played with Ranked mode.
It uses the same ranks as the standard Fortnite, so players will recognize each of the tiers. The scoring system works the same too, but there are important differences reflecting respawns being turned on. Players who repeatedly kill the same player will gain fewer points each time, after a few kills farming the worst players in the lobby won’t help you anymore.
Outside of that, things are quite similar for Fortnite Reload Ranked! There still aren’t clear values to how your rank is moved up or down, but good performances consistently will see you gradually grind to Unreal.
Source: Epic Games
A new feature for Fortnite Ranked mode is rewards these are free cosmetics that you’ll unlock for completing Ranked exclusive Urgent quests. You’ll get themed rewards that commemorate your placement in each rank when a new season begins. They’re not the rarest Fortnite emotes, but it’s always good to get something just for playing.
The Fortnite Ranked rewards are for completing certain milestones in-game. These are like Match Quests, but exclusive to the Fortnite Ranking system games. These are the rewards you can grab this season in Fortnite Ranked.
These Fortnite Ranked rewards make sure everyone is getting something for playing. You’ll get prizes just for playing enough games and finishing Storm Circles. Even if you’re not one of the best Fortnite players or you’re in the low Fortnite ranks, this is a great way to get a few free items.
Image Credit: Epic Games
The Fortnite Ranked system is where players test out their skill. Compared to the rest of the player base how far in are you though? The current Ranked distribution can help you understand where you stand in the Fortnite ranked percentage compared to other players.
The current Ranked distribution for the Fortnite Ranked mode is definitely weighted towards the higher end. The most populated rank is Elite. Followed by Diamond, and Platinum. The lower end of the rank is particularly light, such as Bronze which has relatively few players. Although, Unreal is the least populated Rank at the moment. It will grow as we get towards the end of the season though.
The average Fortnite Rank in Chapter 5 is Elite. This rank is where most players have ended up. it’s around here that the points system seems to drop off in giving out points just for playing. it makes sense that the game is getting tougher for players here. However, it does mean that Diamond and below aren’t as big of an achievement as they look.
Want to know where you rank in the Fortnite Ranking system? That’s fairly easy to figure out. When you switch your lobby over to Ranked mode you’ll pretty quickly see the rank you’re a part of.
If you haven’t played the Ranked mode yet, this won’t work though. Instead, you’ll need to complete a placement match first. You’ll need to play a Fortnite Ranked Mode match, then you’re able to check your rank.
Source: Epic Games
With less transparency in Ranked than in the old Arena mode, it can be tricky to make sure you’re moving up the ranks. Even with the vaguer scoring system though, there are some good strategies you can use to get higher up in the Fortnite Ranked Mode. Obviously winning Fortnite games helps, but there are other factors to keep in mind. These are some tips to level up faster in the Fortnite Ranked Mode:
Yes! Even though this is the Ranked mode, the game still uses bots quite heavily. You’ll have to deal with this in your lobbies. The bots in the game won’t contribute as much to rising up the ranks in Fortnite though. These are also eased off as you get higher in ranks.
The highest rank in Fortnite Ranked mode is now Unreal. This makes it match Epic’s game engine and the Creative mode’s new UnrealFN system.
Bronze I is the lowest Rank in Fortnite. Most players will be placed higher than this thanks to the placement system. However, if you end up starting here it’s a great place to get some practice in as you rise up the Fortnite ranks.
The biggest Fortnite Rank is Elite. This is pretty high up. It seems most players can gradually brute force their way to this level since you mainly only go up in rank while playing this game mode.
EN Global 
JP 日本語