5 Habits That Quietly Give Away A Fortnite Player’s Skill Level

26, 2026, 1:00 PM EDT Nathan Round, part of GameRant's talented Game Guides Team, is the leading voice for Call of Duty guides. From meta loadouts to the best weapons for each season, he takes pride in crafting top-notch guides. He also writes strategy guides for other popular titles, including Fortnite and other popular shooter titles. Fortnite is only getting more competitive day by day, with players from all around the world jumping in to compete in Battle Royale, Zero Build, Reload, and even Tournaments. Players come from all different skill levels, and while it's often hard to tell who is better than you before engaging them in battle, there are a few habits that can quietly expose their skill level. Here are five habits that quietly give away a Fortnite player's skill level. Practicing on Spawn Island Players That Can Be Seen Building & Editing are Ones to Look Out For Right off the bat, when players jump in on Spawn Island, you can already get a good idea of whether you have some seriously competitive players in your lobby. If you find that players are cranking 90s or honing their building and editing skills on spawn island, odds are they're going to be formidable opponents on the battlefield. The Skin They Wear Certain Skins Can Give Away a Player's Skill One of the more obvious things to look out for is a player's skin of choice. While skins are largely a personal preference, certain skins can definitely help identify whether someone is a beginner, a casual player, a sweat, or even an AI-controlled bot. Here's a quick cheat sheet to identify a player's most likely skill level based on their skin: Default and Free Reward Skins (Low Skill): Often AI-controlled bots, new players, or casual players. Skins include default skins, Winterfest skins, and any of the free skins we have listed in this guide here. Bulky Skins (Low Skill): Players who use large, bulky skins are often easier to deal with since they are easy to spot behind cover or out in the open. Rare Skins (High Skill): Often more experienced, as it usually means they've been playing for a long time. Rare skins include Travis Scott, Monarch, Kratos (or the Leviathan Axe), Polo Prodigy, and more. Sweat Skins (High Skill): Sweat skins include the customizable Superhero skins, Lara Croft (Chapter 2 Battle Pass Skin), Aura, the Soccer skins, Siren, Surf Witch, and more. Ranked Skins and Cosmetics (Depends on the Style): Skins like Felina, along with any Ranked Back Blings, showcase the highest Rank the player achieved during a Ranked Season, making it easy to spot Diamond, Champion, and Unreal players in any playlist. Building & Editing Skills Watch Out For the Type of Building Techniques Players Use Another thing to take note of during your games to determine whether a player is potentially better than you is their building and editing skills. Advanced players often make use of pro building and editing techniques, while lower-skill players tend to stick to the basics. Here are some things to look out for: Placing Single Build Pieces Like Walls and Ramps (Low Skill): Players who throw down a single wall or ramp without reinforcing their builds are often much easier to deal with. Over Reliance on Building Upwards (Low Skill): If players often build straight up after getting shot or during a build battle, they're often panicking and wasting materials. Drop down and break their builds. Using Brick or Metal Builds Early On (Low Skill or Low on Materials): Brick and Metal builds have more base health overall, but take longer to reach full health. This makes them easier to destroy during a build fight, but harder to break if you encounter structures that are already fully built. Techniques Such as Ramp Rushing, Triple Edits, and Box Fights (High Skill): If players are making use of advanced techniques such as triple edits, ramp rushes, or are adept at box fighting, odds are they're much better at the game. Setting Up Base Late Game (High Skill): Players who prioritize setting up a base during the late game are often thinking and planning ahead. Using Right-Hand Peaks and Wall Edits (High Skill): If you notice your opponent using right-hand peaks (peeking from cover on their right side) or placing walls and editing them to take quick shots, they're often more experienced. The Way They Move Certain Movements Can Help Identify How Good a Player Is While building is exclusive to one half of the Battle Royale player base, another visual indicator that can quietly give away a player's skill level in all playlists is how they move. This can be anything from incorporating slides into their movement to crouch walking and much more. Here are some common movement indicators and the skill level they typically suggest: Crouch Walking (Low Skill): Players who frequently crouch walk out in the open are often low-skilled or are simply AI-controlled bots. Running in a Straight Line (Low Skill): Players who run in a straight line are often easier to hit, and it can indicate that they are a bot. Over Reliance on Running Away (Low Skill): If a player frequently flees after taking damage, it usually means they are not prepared for a fight. Pushing Without Using Cover (Low Skill): Players who push straight towards you without using cover are often much easier to hit. Sliding While Sprinting (High Skill): Players who regularly throw in slides while sprinting are conserving their stamina, which is a common tactic among better players. Crouching and Sliding During Gunfights (High Skill): Players who mix crouches and slides into gunfights do so to make themselves harder to hit. Dropping Onto You Using Movement (High Skill): Players who frequently push with Shockwaves and other movement items are generally more confident in their ability to eliminate you. Fleeing or Fighting in Storm Good Players Will Often Ignore the Storm Early Game If you are battling a player either in or close to the storm, the way they play can give you a clue as to how skilled they are. For instance, if they are quick to get out of the fight and stay ahead of the storm during those first few circles, chances are they either aren't too experienced or simply do not have enough health to last the fight. On the flip side, if you find that your opponent is actively engaging you, setting up a base, or camping in the storm, be prepared for a challenging fight. Since the tick rate for the first few storms is relatively low, more skilled players can often afford to stay in the storm if they have to in order to win a fight. Fortnite Released September 26, 2017 Where to play Close WHERE TO PLAY DIGITAL PHYSICAL ESRB T for Teen - Diverse Content: Discretion Advised, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact Developer(s) Epic Games Publisher(s) Epic Games Genre(s) Survival, Battle Royale, Shooter, Action, Adventure Platform(s) PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PC, Android, iOS OpenCritic Rating Mighty Powered by Expand Collapse