Fortnite Strategies: Gate Keeping

In Fortnite there is more to winning a game than just hitting your shots. Players need to exhibit good accuracy and build mechanics just to make it to top 20 in a match. What sends players to top 10 are the little strategies that die hard competitive players use, one of said strategies is called Gate Keeping. Gate Keeping refers to stopping players from getting into the next zone or catching them running away from the storm. Players do need to have a good sense of awareness if they want to Gate Keep Effectively.

Early game

Escaping late game explosives in Fortnite // in-game capture by. cosinejoe

Currently as the meta stands Gate Keeping is slightly harder to pull off Mid game. Thanks to a wide range of mobility implemented Mid game, Gate Keeping is more viable for Early and Late game. Early game Gate Keeping requires a bit of randomness to be on your side. Either you are in the safe zone or 50 miles away from it. The reward doesn’t justify the work for early game Gate Keeping. Aside from thinning out the lobby, the odds of wasting resources just to secure a kill is pretty high. You also run the risk of losing that engagement or run the risk of putting yourself in a worse position than you started off in. If you choose to Gate Keep in early game you have to make sure your shots are on point and make sure you only bite off what you can chew.

Late Game

Running through a Gate Keeper in Fortnite // In-game capture by. cosinejoe

Late game Gate Keeping is much more rewarding than early game. By this point players should have a respectable amount of resources. Making them prime targets to catch off guard and take what they have. The issue with late game is there is a small window of opportunity to Gate Keep. Storm Timer is a lot shorter in length, the safe zone is smaller and late game circle could be so congested to the point of utter chaos, making this strategy more of a liability than an asset. If you choose to Gate Keep in the late game you have to make sure you are aware of where the storm is moving and where the other players are. It is a solid style that has a high risk for an alright reward.

Short term strategy with an issue about Third parties

Flapjackie Gate Keeping during Late Game // In-game capture by cosinejoe

Gate Keeping is a short term strategy with third parties capable of messing up the keepers’ plays easily. The biggest thorn in this strategy’s side are third parties. Players who interrupt a build fight duel and steal kills or knock down foundations of the combatants. Being a Gate Keeper, you heavily rely on having the drop on someone; pouncing on your prey and dealing massive damage before they can react to you while they are focused on getting to the safe zone. Most times Gate Keepers’ prey might prolong the fight longer than it needs to. While the storm is ticking for two or more damage per-second the combatants are still slugging it out, as shown by the European Players during the Fall Skirmish. NA players may not predominantly use this method of playing but EU players do as shown in this video talking about each regions’ meta.

If you are an average player looking to level your game up even slightly, learning a new strategy or play style can give you that little extra push you need. Gate Keeping is one strategy that beginners to experienced scrim players can use. In closing:

• Gate Keeping is viable to use Early game
• Gate Keeping is viable to use Late game
• High risk and an Alright reward
• Dependent on Storm circle placements
• Susceptible to Third-Parties

Featured image courtesy of @Cosinejoe.

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