Fortnite
The game that runs on every device a crew owns, with a no-building mode for the friend who has never played.
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What it asks of a crew
- Easy startZero Build removes the hardest skill. With building on, a new player is outplayed fast.
- Team talkA squad that calls out enemies and shares loot survives longer, but a quiet squad still has fun.
- Skill gapAn experienced builder can beat a new player almost every time, which is why Zero Build exists.
- Short sessionsBattle Royale takes about twenty minutes; Blitz Royale and Reload are the short options.
- Team size
- Duos, Trios and Squads of four among 100 players in Battle Royale; parties of up to 16 on islands with large-party support
- Main mode
- Battle Royale, 100 players, about 15–25 minutes (third-party guides); Zero Build removes building
- Short option
- Blitz Royale, 32 players, 'five minutes or less' (Epic)
- Devices
- PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, Switch 2, iPhone, iPad and Android; Mac only through cloud gaming; no iOS in Australia
- Cross-play
- Full cross-play and mixed-device parties with an Epic account; V-Bucks bought on Switch stay on Switch
- Ranked
- Ranked opens after the 'Outlast 500 players' Kickstart quest (Epic)
- Price
- Free to play. V-Bucks ($8.99 for 800 since March 2026), the Battle Pass (800 V-Bucks), other passes and the Fortnite Crew subscription cost money.
- Paid random items
- Not in Epic's own modes: Epic stopped selling paid random items in 2019. Since January 2026, islands made by independent creators may sell them where the law allows, and parents can block them with the 'Allow Paid Random Items' setting.
- Age rating
- Battle Royale is PEGI 12 for violence. pegi.info gives the Fortnite app as a whole its parental-guidance label instead of an age, because creator islands vary, and the PlayStation Store UK now adds 'includes random items'. ESRB Teen. Every island carries its own rating.
- Released
- Battle Royale free since September 2017
First night
A 45-minute plan
Short Blitz matches to warm up, then one squad match with building switched off.
- BeforeEveryone needs an Epic account. Under-13s get a Cabined Account, and under-18s start with voice and text chat off, so a parent sets chat permissions and 'Allow Paid Random Items' in Parental Controls first.
- 0–5 minMake a party of up to four and check Team Fill: switch it off if you do not want a stranger in the squad.
- 5–15 minTwo Blitz Royale matches, five minutes or less each, to learn movement and aiming.
- 15–40 minOne Zero Build Battle Royale match as a squad. Nobody is outbuilt, and the match runs about twenty minutes.
- 40–45 minStop when the match ends, win or lose.
Accounts and ages
Before anyone signs up
Epic's terms set no minimum age; a parent or guardian accepts them for a minor and is responsible for purchases. A player under 13, or under the local age of digital consent, gets a Cabined Account: voice chat, free text chat and real-money purchases stay off until a parent consents.
For anyone who says they are under 18, voice and text chat start off and party joining starts as invite only. Parental Controls add a PIN for friend requests and purchases, a daily spending cap for under-13s on Epic payments, play-time limits with weekly reports, and island age-rating limits.
Where the first hours go
Epic's matchmaking adds bots for new and low-skill players and fewer as skill improves, so early matches feel easier than later ones. Zero Build and Reload, where a squadmate who is knocked out comes back while a teammate survives, are the kindest places to start a mixed squad.
The Item Shop rotates daily and the Battle Pass runs by season. Epic's modes sell no random items, but creator islands can; parents can switch those off and block islands above a chosen age rating with a PIN.
Mixed-device groups of up to four: phones, Switch 2, PlayStation, Xbox and PC share one party. Zero Build and Blitz Royale make room for beginners and for short evenings.
Groups of five or more in the main modes, Mac-only players, and families wary of a constantly changing shop and of creator islands with their own purchases.
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