Fortnite Ranked Mode launches May 16: All you need to know

Fortnite officially announced a new Ranked Mode today after a cryptic teaser sent the community into a frenzy. Initially set to launch alongside update v24.40 on May 16, Epic Games announced v24.40 will instead drop on Wednesday, May 17.

Fortnite's new Ranked Mode will include separate Battle Royale and Zero Build options. It features eight divisions and quests with rewards for those progressing. This playlist is what many competitive players have requested for some time, and it's just around the corner.

Fortnite Ranked Mode is the successor to Arena Mode, which won't exist after update v24.40. However, it resembles Arena Mode, keeping the same division model intact. Like Arena Mode, players must also earn eliminations and high placements to rank up. 

Per the blog post, eliminations that occur later in matches will earn you more points, and eliminating players of a higher rank is more valuable.

Your entire team's class exists as one for team modes such as Duos and Squads. That means the highest-ranked player in your party is what you will matchmake as in Ranked Mode. 

You will still rank up individually regardless of what division your team queues into Ranked Mode. 

Ranked is a proper competitive mode for Fortnite. However, unlike Arena Mode, all items and weapons are available for the inaugural Season Zero launch—Epic plans to monitor this and make adjustments based on player feedback. 

Here are some balance changes that will directly impact Ranked Mode:

Ranks are separated between Fortnite's two core game modes; Battle Royale and Zero Build. All player rankings will depend upon your recent match performance and first Zero Build/Battle Royale ranked match outcome. After completing your first match, you will see your rank.

The skilled few who reach Unreal will not de-rank after reaching the highest ranking. Also, Unreal-ranked competitors will receive a number ranking to see where they sit on the global leaderboard. 

Referred to in the blog post as "Season Zero," players begin their Fortnite Ranked Mode journey on May 16 following the v24.40 patch. Consider Season Zero a trial run for Epic Games to work out any kinks before the following season. 

Your rank will reset upon the launch of Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 3 with new Quests to fulfill, rewards to earn, and Victory Royales to grab.

If you are a new player looking to experience Ranked Mode, you must complete a specific Quest to outlast 500 opponents in a casual match before queuing into the competitive playlist.

Fortnite Ranked Mode Quests will appear in-game as "Ranked Urgent Quests." Upon completing these challenges, you will unlock cosmetic rewards. It is worth noting that Quests do not carry over from game to game. You will receive a new one for each match. 

Players who play Ranked Mode in Season Zero will receive the Burn Bright Emote as the final reward, which displays your current rank. 

According to the blog post, Fortnite Ranked Mode is the ticket to future tournament qualification. This format echoes how it worked previously with Arena Mode. However, each Epic-hosted competition will require a specific rank for you to be eligible. You can check each future ruleset for divisional requirements.

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