Fortnite Ranked launched alongside Fortnite Update 24.40, finally bringing a long-overdue ranked mode to the premiere battle royale title.
Fortnite update 24.40 arrived last week and while we sadly had to say say goodbye to Trios, it brought the exciting launch of Fortnite Ranked along with it. Fortnite Ranked Season Zero is underway, and is set to continue all the way through until the end of Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 3 (which is set to launch on June 9, 2023).
Epic Games has confirmed it will be using Fortnite Ranked Season Zero to "make any adjustments to issues and concerns that arise, while also working on additional features and overall improvements for when Ranked starts following the normal Battle Royale Season schedule". Due to Fortnite Ranked Season Zero acting as a test bed of sorts, only a handful of modes are available for the duration of Fortnite Ranked Season Zero.
During Ranked Season Zero the following game modes will be available:
- Battle Royale Solos
- Battle Royale Duos
- Battle Royale Squads
- Zero Build Duos
Presumably more modes (namely Solos and Squads for Zero Build) will be introduced later down the line. Although Epic Games has yet to confirm this, the wording on the Ranked news post on the Fortnite website implies that this will be the case saying "Ranked will start off with the following" in regards to the list.
Fortnite Ranks
Fortnite Ranked has 18 ranks in total to earn, starting at Bronze and going all the way up to the pinnacle Unreal rank:
- Bronze 1
- Bronze 2
- Bronze 3
- Silver 1
- Silver 2
- Silver 3
- Gold 1
- Gold 2
- Gold 3
- Platinum 1
- Platinum 2
- Platinum 3
- Diamond 1
- Diamond 2
- Diamond 3
- Elite
- Champion
- Unreal
Anyone who manages to reach Unreal Rank will stay in there for the remainder of that Ranked Season no matter what.
Fortnite Ranking System
Players who have played Fortnite previously will receive their Fortnite Rank upon completing a single game of Ranked. Your starting rank will be based on your past performances in-game and how you do in your first match. Players who have never played Fortnite on their Epic account will first have to complete a Quest in which they have to outlast 500 opponents before they can join Ranked.
In the lobby you'll see your current rank as well as a progress bar showing you how close you are to advancing to the next rank, or dropping out of your current one. Progress will be dictated by the following factors:
Your match placement
How many eliminations you or your team get in the match
Eliminations later in the match will count more than eliminations earlier in the match.
The ranks of the players you or your team eliminated will be taken into account.
Teams will be treated as one unit, meaning their progress will be based on their performance as a team rather than individual contributions.
Matchmaking is based on rank, with the game aiming to match you up against players of the same or similar rank. Duos or Squads players will be matched according to the member of the party with the highest rank, so if you're Bronze 1 and play with someone in Diamond 3, you'll be matched with Diamond 3 players.
Fortnite Ranked Unreal Leaderboard
If you're keen to check where you rank in the grand scheme of things you're in luck, Epic Games has launched a dedicated website for the Fortnite Ranked Unreal leaderboard for both Battle Royale and Zero Build rankings. The Fortnite Ranked Leaderboards website allows you to sign in with your Epic Games account and compare your ranking with the very best.
Sadly, there currently isn't a way to access the Fortnite Ranked leaderboards in-game, meaning you'll need to quit out of the game and head to your nearest web browser to find out your placement on the Fortnite Ranked leaderboard.
Fortnite Ranked rewards
When you begin a Ranked match in Fortnite you'll be given a Ranked Urgent Quest, which unlocks seasonal cosmetic rewards upon completion. However, these Urgent Quests must be completed within one match, as progress does not carry over.
The final cosmetic reward of Fortnite Ranked Season Zero is the Burn Bright Emote which allows you to flaunt your current rank colour in-game for those extra bragging rights.
Fortnite Ranked balance changes
Fortnite Ranked matches will offer the same item pool as a typical Battle Royale or Zero Build match – meaning Mythics like the ODM Gear and Thunder Spears are on the table. However, Epic Games has introduced some balance changes to the Battle Royale mode with Fortnite update 24.40 to accommodate the new Ranked mode:
Material caps will be decreased from 999 to 500
Harvesting rates will be slightly increased
Players will drop 50 of each material when they are eliminated
However, Epic Games has referred to Ranked Season Zero as a testing ground of sorts, so these balance changes could be tweaked in the near future.
Fortnite Ranked Competitive changes
With Fortnite update 24.40, Arena will be discontinued. In-game tournaments will begin to require specific ranks for participation starting with Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 3. However, this is being tested early on Tuesday, May 23 when the Console Champions Cup takes place – requiring players to have reached at least Platinum 1 to participate.
