Everything You Need To Know About Hot Spots in Fortnite

Image: Epic Games
Image: Epic Games

Whether it’s a part of a weekly challenge or you’re just looking to get great weapons fast, Fortnite’s Hot Spots are a reliable way to get your arsenal off to a solid start. Fortunately, they’re relatively easy to find. But be warned: You won’t be the only person heading there.

You can identify Hot Spots by quickly pulling up your map by hitting “M” on keyboard and mouse, up on the D-pad on either Xbox or PlayStation, or the “-” button on Switch and spotting named areas with gold letters.

Screenshot: Epic Games / Kotaku
Screenshot: Epic Games / Kotaku

Of course, it’s not enough to simply go to these areas and grab good gear. Once you arrive at a Hot Spot, keep an eye out for flying drones and chests: They’re key to securing weapons of Rare and higher quality.

Shoot down the drones to grab their loot. Since you’re more likely to spot drones before finding chests tucked into various corners of buildings, it’s not a bad idea to grab the very first gun you can find and get to work shooting down drones.

Hot Spots are magnets for other players

Naturally, you’re not the only player on the island. Other players will be competing against you, so you’ll want to keep your wits about you as you head to a Hot Spot. There are a few strategies to consider.

Screenshot: Epic Games / Kotaku
Screenshot: Epic Games / Kotaku

Racing to the Hot Spot to be the first to grab its loot can open you up to getting shot rather quickly, but the flipside is you’re more likely to snag better loot. Still, this can be a rather hectic way to start off a match. Also, shooting down drones can act as a signal to other players that you’re in the area.

If you prefer a more strategic approach, it can’t hurt to observe your surroundings before diving in. Remember that when players are aiming at other drones, they’re not aiming at you. You might also wish to take advantage of battles between other players to pick them off once others have weakened them.

Making the most of Hot Spots is a delicate balance of strategy and skillful play. Whether you choose to rush in with the hopes of finding an Epic quality gun at the start or prefer to use Hot Spots as traps that lure in other players, you’ll want to take note of their locations and prioritize your decisions around them each match.