Fortnite Rivals explained: Team Foundation vs. Team Ice King

Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 2, dubbed ‘Showdown,’ is all about the rivalry between The Foundation and The Ice King. Players have the opportunity to side with one of the two, and then go head-to-head in Build or Zero Build matches throughout the season. The ‘Rivals’ feature in this Fortnite season is rather intricate, so here’s how it works and the best ways you can utilize it.

Fortnite Rivals feature overview

The implications of the Fortnite Rivals system are deeper than it might seem from the outset. It has significant ramifications for gameplay and cosmetics. Here is a list of what you can expect what you can expect when you load into Fortnite and choose which side you prefer:

• Unlockable items over the coming weeks
• The winning side will see the release of an exclusive alternate skin
• Successfully winning in-game ‘Duels’ will earn you Rivals Credits
• You can exchange Rivals Credits for some of the best in-game loot possible

How to pick a side: Team Foundation vs. Team Ice King

If you haven’t loaded into Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 2 yet, you probably haven’t chosen a side. Before you load into the game, head over to the Fortnite Showdown website to familiarize yourself with the layout. Then, head into Fortnite and play a match. Once that match concludes, you can choose either Team Foundation or Team Ice King.

The only difference from the outset is that the winning team will unlock either the Frost-Ready Foundation or Exalted Frost Ice King for all Battle Pass owners. We’ll cover that more later, but the first step in this process is to decide whether you are Team Foundation or Team Ice King.

In-game Fortnite Rivals Board and Duels

Once you have chosen, you can head in-game to officially begin your quest to help your team. You can head to one of the many Rivals Boards strewn across the map. These function similarly to the Bounty Boards of past seasons. The enemy player’s general area will illuminate on the map. You must head to this spot and try to eliminate them.

If done successfully, you will receive ten Rivals Credits. You can compile these over multiple games, and they won’t reset throughout the season. As you earn more Rivals Credits, you can acquire weapons and other items from the kiosks located beside the Rivals Boards.

Additionally, the more Duels you win, the more you will help either Team Foundation or Team Ice King advance on the Fortnite Rivals leaderboard. Here are some additional details per Epic Games:

• Eliminations and damage are tracked across matches to determine your rivals. Rivalry Screens prioritize the rivals you have the most recent history with.
• If you’re rebooted in a match, the player who eliminated you is automatically your rival. Take them out to earn double the Rival Credits.
• If a third party poaches your target, the eliminated player drops a Rivalry Contract. Reach it first and the elim will be attributed to you. If another player picks it up, the rivalry continues with them as your new target.
• The more often you use Rivalry Screens, the more often you’ll become the target of rivalries for other players. Want a cooler break? Skip the screens in consecutive matches, and you’ll be targeted less often.

What items will unlock over the season?

It appears Epic Games has separated the Fortnite Rivals feature by ‘Acts.’ Act I features ten unlockable items, or five for Team Foundation and five for Team Ice King. As the leaderboard unfolds over the coming weeks, one of those items will become available in-game for all players.

For example, the first unlockable item for Team Ice King is the Ice King’s Gauntlets, while the first for Team Foundation is the Seven Power Gloves. Below is a complete list of the five items per team:

Team Ice King

1. Ice King’s Gauntlets
2. Slapperoni Pizza
3. Dark Voyage Drones
4. Enhanced Harpoon Gun
5. Ice King’s Vault Key

Team The Foundation

1. Seven Power Gloves
2. Seven Cluster Cannon
3. The Foundation’s Rift Rifle
4. Golden Fishing Spots
5. Seven Compound Vault Key

Only one skin (most likely) can win

Epic’s wording indicates that either the Frost-Ready Foundation or Exalted Frost Ice King will become available to Battle Pass holders later this season. The result will depend on which team wins, but it’s unclear whether the losing team’s skin will simply disappear or remain acquirable.

We’ll have to see how this develops throughout the season, but the Fortnite Rivals feature is something that should keep the game interesting for the next few months. It’s intricate and well-designed, even if it is somewhat of a reworked bounty system.

How to earn additional cosmetic rewards and other prizes via Fortnite Rivals

That’s not all, either, as Epic Games has invested even more resources in this feature. Those who play consistently and rise through the ranks can unlock in-game items and even an NVIDIA graphics card.

Firstly, the in-game cosmetic rewards are available to those who complete challenges. Only one is live currently, and it requires players to earn 50 eliminations. Upon completion, you will receive the “Rivaled Runners” Kicks. The other rewards include two Pickaxes, an Emote, and two Emoticons:

Now for the physical rewards, we have everything from t-shirts to a PS5 to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080. These are a bit more challenging to unlock, as they require plenty of play time, but they are still attainable.

Here’s how to win them:

• NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 – Each week, the top 5 players on the global leaderboard win a GeForce RTX 5080 Founders Edition.
• PlayStation 5 – At the end of the Global Leaderboard Challenge, the top 20 players on the global leaderboard win a PlayStation 5 console
• Fortnite t-shirt – At the end of the Global Leaderboard Challenge, the top 100 players for Team Foundation, Team Ice King and team Creators will get apparel for their chosen side.
• Fortnite keychain – At the end of the Global Leaderboard Challenge, the top 500 players for Team Foundation, Team Ice King and team Creators will get an official Fortnite keychain.

That’s a lot of information, but that’s what makes it arguably the best addition to the new season. It should keep games fresh without too much downtime or dead air. You can also enjoy the many new weapons, drop spots, and you can even drive the Battle Bus, all in Chapter 7 Season 2.