I was terrible at 'Fortnite,' but these 3 simple tweaks turned me into a killing machine

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I was terrible at 'Fortnite,' but these 3 simple tweaks turned me into a killing machine

fortnite battle royale

Dave Smith/Business Insider

For the past few weeks, I've immersed myself in "Fortnite Battle Royale," the most popular game in the world right now.

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I've been playing relentlessly, and when I'm not playing, I've been watching and studying the best "Fortnite" streamers, like Ninja.

Still, after dozens of hours of playing and watching "Fortnite," I felt like I wasn't actually improving in the game. I was dying early and often. And while I may have been getting the hang of the various controls, building and shooting - the two most essential functions in "Fortnite" for defense and offense, respectively - were still not intuitive to me. I was getting easily overwhelmed in firefights. And this was frustrating to me, since I play a lot of video games.

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Recently, though, I made a breakthrough. I'm nowhere near the level of pro streamers like Ninja, but I'm consistently finishing in the top 10 to 25 players, and usually with at least one or two kills under my belt.

Here's what I'd suggest to anyone who's struggling to get better at "Fortnite":

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1. Try playing on a different device.

1. Try playing on a different device.

Personally, my biggest breakthrough with "Fortnite" was simply playing the game on a different device.

I had spent probably a few dozen hours playing "Fortnite" on my PlayStation 4, unsuccessfully, until I finally tried downloading the game to my iPhone X. I noticed an instant and immediate improvement.

For some reference: Prior to playing "Fortnite" on my iPhone, I was never able to successfully hit anyone with a sniper rifle while playing on my PS4. But I got two sniper kills — not just hits, but kills — in one of my first matches when I switched to my iPhone. In general, I've found it's much easier to move, build, aim, and shoot on the iPhone compared to the PlayStation 4. And I bet it's even easier if you play the game on PC.

If you're interested, here are the controls for "Fortnite" if you're playing on an iPhone. As you can see, it's very simple.

If you're interested, here are the controls for "Fortnite" if you're playing on an iPhone. As you can see, it's very simple.

The game is coming soon to Android, says Epic Games, the creator of "Fortnite." But it's unclear when, and which devices will be supported.

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3. Once the game starts, wait until the final seconds to jump out of the flying bus.

3. Once the game starts, wait until the final seconds to jump out of the flying bus.

Every "Fortnite Battle Royale" game starts with the 100 online players jumping out of the flying bus and onto the island below. But if you notice, most people tend to jump out as early as possible — probably because so many players just want to get in there and start killing each other.

Don't be one of those people.

If you're patient, and you wait until the final seconds to jump from the bus, you'll usually land with fewer enemy players nearby. That gives you more time to find weapons and protection. And if you're completely alone, you can use this valuable time to practice shooting and building. Since "Fortnite" doesn't have its own practice mode, aside from the seconds-long loading area before the start of every game, this can be the best way to practice switching between weapons, trying out new guns, and building ramps and fortresses.

Building and shooting are essential to playing and winning in "Fortnite" so fly to the end of the map, quietly gather materials and gear, and use that isolation to your advantage and practice.

Want more "Fortnite" tips?

Here are 15 tips and tricks for "Fortnite" beginners to play and win the game.

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