How to Become the Solid Snake of ‘Fortnite: Battle Royale’

Carl Waldron
Games Fortnite
Games Fortnite

There’s no shame in hiding in Fortnite. While scores of build-happy, bullet-raining combatants deplete their resources eliminating each other, I stalk in the rather limited shadows, lying in wait. As I head toward the center of the Storm, I try to embody the teachings of the great Snake Pliskin (aka David or Solid Snake). Move quietly, stalk your enemies, and only kill if absolutely necessary.

Granted, I do this because I’m awful at shooting people in games, but it’s all about playing to your strengths.

There are many streams and tutorials on how to get better at Fortnite. A few suggest diving head first into battle to learn the ropes. This isn’t one of those articles. Instead, let’s explore how to effectively pull off a Metal Gear Solid-style, no-kill, no-alerts run.

Drop Late, Glide Far

Take the scenic route to victory.

Depending on the angle the party bus is moving and the location of your drop, you may think you are heading to a pretty secluded spot. Most of the time you will be wrong. To mitigate this a bit, be one of the last to drop out, and pop your glider immediately. Scour the sides of the map for movement. Say a prayer to whatever gaming god you choose and head in the direction of least resistance. Most folks will be rushing to that sweet terra firma to secure a weapon. This is not your goal.

Remember, there will always be a weapon. It may not be the best, but you will eventually find one. They key is to survive long enough to get it. Glide as far as possible, and land close to the edge of the map. If done correctly, the Circle should be established and on its way to closing when you land. Just as Snake infiltrated that disposal facility so many years ago, so shall you press on into a violent world with your wits and pickaxe ready.

Be Late to the Party

Two minutes? Plenty of time.

If you are lucky enough to drop far outside the Circle, you have set yourself up for success. Take your time, and survey the land. Search for chests and better equipment. Remember, do it quietly and quickly, crouching to start. Be mindful of the time though. Once the timer strikes and that circle starts to collapse, you are on the clock.

Make your way slowly towards the Circle, regularly popping your map open to view its constriction process. You can easily get caught up, thinking you have all the time in the world, only to spin around and find yourself engulfed by the Storm. You are aiming to barely make it out of the Storm. The less time you spend in the kill circle, the higher your chance of survival.

Build Less, Stalk More

Oh, I'll take the stairs.

Building is a great way to protect yourself in Fortnite. The ability to drop a well-placed wall between you and incoming bullets is what makes the game special. Building also works as a smoke signal to distant foes on the lookout for someone to send back to the lobby.

Near the endgame, you can spot all the players in the game building amazing, elaborate structures. Some are built for protection, whereas others circumvent solid fortifications. But did Solid Snake ever stop to build anything in the middle of a mission? Of course not.

So, instead of taking precious time away from your sweet stealth moves. Use the structures previous players have built to your advantage. Just know that random staircases usually lead to an active or dormant battleground, so be careful, sneaky, and silent.

Find Creative Ways to Hide

Psst ... over here.

One of the best parts about Fortnite is all the great hiding spots. Buildings, mines, bushes, and ditches all serve to aid in your concealment tactics. Players even create lasting structures for you to curl up beneath. Try to repurpose previously built forts and in-game structures as much as possible, but do not linger.

Tool sheds and previous player battlegrounds make for great tiny command centers. If you get really lucky, your structure will be within the final circle. This way you have no reason to seek out a fight. Whoever is left will have to come to you.

When in Doubt, Stand on a File Cabinet

Hello, cabinet, my old friend. I've come to stand on you again.

I was lucky enough to find an environment structure complete with filing cabinet that was within the enclosing circle. Here I took my stand. Literally. I stood on the cabinet, dropped a ramp structure below me for added security, and waited. Just like the lions in the tall grass.

Someone looking to kill me approached and fired a rocket into my happy little bunker. My ramp and precious cabinet took the brunt of the hit. The explosion seemed to satisfy the person, and they turned their back on me. That’s when I struck with a shogun blast to the noggin. Living to hide another day.

Let Others Do the Work for You

Fortnite Stealth Strat
I didn't do that.

My first victory in Fortnite came after the last three combatants, myself included, squared off in the smallest circle. Technically, the other two squared off; I hid behind a building. Before I knew it, the Victory screen popped up for me. The other two had killed each other.

There is no way to plan for this, but I certainly put myself in a position for it to happen. I hadn’t fired a single shot or made myself known at any point. Clearly, luck was on my side. My actions, however, led to a true no-kill run. Snake would be proud.

Victory Royale With Cheese

Super. Black. Victory Royale
The sweet taste of victory.

I have honed this strategy to a fine, razor’s edge. So far, I have amassed a whopping two Victory Royales. Much to the chagrin of much “better” players. My advice is simple. Let everyone else be “good” at Fortnite. Let the masses build, jump, headshot and disco. You will be the ghost.

You will be the one under the stairs while others loot and pillage. Maybe we will meet there, in the shadows. We will have our silent war. The winner will slink away, never to be seen. That is until someone takes you out somewhere in the top five.

Carl Waldron
Freelancer Writer, Designer, and Content Creator