Does Fortnite Have Bots?

10/29/21 • 6 min read

Many games utilise A.I. opposition within online multiplayer lobbies for a variety of reasons, from filling up lobbies faster to giving newer players a more enjoyable experience – but do Fortnite lobbies feature these bots? Let’s investigate…

Fortnite has been around for just over four years now and while it no longer has anything quite near the 75 million concurrent players it had at its peak, it does still have upwards of 15 million players online at any given time.

To begin with, there was a large skill gap within the game, where the top players would effortlessly wipe an entire lobby on most occasions. Over time, Epic Games have made numerous changes to the gameplay and the settings of the game to reduce this skill gap, which has resulted in the average player being fairly competent against top players.

If you are one of the many players that still jump on the Battle Bus in Chapter 2, you may have noticed some players are acting a bit strange. They’ll shoot from distance, automatically build a single wall on sight, heal right in front of you and start breaking walls mid-fight, amongst other questionable techniques.

Popular streamers and professional players had previously referred to such unskilled players as “bots,” but in Chapter 2, it is a valid observation rather than an insult.

Are There Bots On Fortnite?

Fortnite does in fact feature A.I. bots in its games which work in conjunction with skill-based matchmaking. Your skill level determines whether or not there are bots in your games, as well as how many there will be. There are, however, no bots in Creative Mode or competitive playlists.

New players and players that don’t play regularly will encounter the most bots on Fortnite. This helps the new players practice and returning players have fun without having to face experienced players.

Players that are able to play regularly will see fewer bots, or no bots at all, depending on their particular skill level. Competitive players that queue up in Arena will see no bots at all and will only face genuine, equally skilled opposition.

How can you tell what’s A.I. and what isn’t? Because the bots look like real players wearing a variety of skins, it’s the strange behaviour you need to look out for.

How Good Are The Bots On Fortnite?

The bots on Fortnite aren’t difficult to kill at all, even for newer players.

When they were first introduced at the beginning of Chapter 2, they were simply awful and barely even returned fire even when in close proximity. Now, they shoot at you from distance, place walls and ramps and are even more accurate with their shots than they used to be, which indicates that the developers are working on improving them over time.

As of yet, it’s unclear whether these bots’ abilities increase as a result of skill-based matching, or whether there’s just a standard skill level across the board.

It’s doubtful that they’ll get much better, though, as this would be contrary to their purpose in the game. Plus, with how complex the game is and how unique a number of situations can be, it might just not be possible to programme A.I. to be able to compete with any player that’s above average at the game.

Is It Possible To Turn Off Bots On Fortnite?

If you’ve been playing the game consistently for a while now, it’s likely you experience no joy from killing bots on Fortnite. It’s not particularly rewarding emotionally or in-game.

While it isn’t possible to avoid bots in public matches, unless you’re a very skilled player on at peak concurrent player times, you can opt to play different game modes that do not feature them.

Arena, tournaments and Creative Mode do not feature bots and you will only ever come up against real players that will be matched to you based on your skill level. This is by far the best way to get better at the game and maybe even win some money in the process through weekly Cash Cups and the Fortnite Championship Series.

Is It Possible To Only Fight Bots On Fortnite?

As there’s no real joy for an experienced player when killing bots on Fortnite, most people would rather they weren’t in the game at all. Even getting tagged by one just once is a waste of shields and they rarely drop any decent weapons when killed.

Players that consider themselves more casual than competitive might enjoy fighting them, though, and might even prefer it if games only involved fighting A.I.

So are “Bot only” lobbies a thing?

While there have been hints of it being a possibility in the future, there are currently no game modes where you are solely put up against bots. However, players have found a way of making sure each game they play features a high percentage of bots. Here’s how they do it:

Create an alternative account
Add that account to your main account’s friend list
On your alt account, invite your main account to a party
Queue up for a Squads match with fills turned off
Ready up both accounts, then when the game loads, immediately leave the game on your alt account to avoid gaining experience and levelling up
Your main account should now be in a mostly A.I. match

How Do I Get Better At Fortnite?

If you want to get better at the game and alleviate yourself from the bot lobbies, there are a few basic things you can do to start improving your abilities on Fortnite.

Firstly, the most important technique for getting good at the game is to put the time in – all the top players will tell you that. If you can’t play Fortnite very often, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to compete with those that can play regularly. Playing more often gives you better aim, better mechanics and a better game sense.

If you play often and you’re still looking to take your game to the next level, you need to make sure you’ve optimised all your keybinds and game settings. Once you’ve chosen the keybinds that you’re most comfortable using, stick with them. Furthermore, you need to make sure your game settings are optimised for performance, even if you think your computer is good enough to run on the highest settings.