Each Thursday, you can count on two things: New Fortnite challenges are live, and so is our guide. It’s Season 5, Week 5, folks. Let’s earn some Battle Stars. Regardless of whether you’re a seasoned vet or just starting out, these fresh challenges will get you another step closer towards those elusive seasonal unlockables.
By now most of you know the drill, but here’s a recap in case you’re just now tuning in. Each week, a new set of challenges becomes available for all Fortnite players. There are three challenges for “free” players–those without the Battle Pass–and another four for those with it. Completing any four of the week’s challenges unlocks an additional 5,000 XP, while completing all of them unlocks another tier for the Road Trip challenge. However, since this requires all challenges, the Road Trip is unavailable for players without the Battle Pass. Those players are missing out on exclusive loading screens that also reveal the locations of hidden Battle Stars in-game.
That being said, here’s what players can look forward to trying this week:
Free Pass Challenges
- Search chests in Junk Junction (0/7)
- Use Rift Portals (0/3)
- Eliminate opponents in a single match (0/3) – Hard
Battle Pass Challenges
- Deal damage to players with a Clinger, Stink Bomb, or Grenade (0/300)
- Hit a golf ball from tee to green on different holes (0/5)
- Follow the treasure map found in Snobby Shores (0/1) – Hard
- Eliminate opponents in Shifty Shafts (0/3) – Hard
Search chests in Junk Junction
First, players must Search 7 chests in Junk Junction. While this may seem daunting for new players, remember that these do not have to be looted in the same match. Junk Junction is tucked away in the northwestern-most corner of the map and is ordinarily a fairly quiet location. However, this will undoubtedly change now that these challenges are live. Players tend to rush to these points of interest at the beginning of the week to try and complete the challenges quickly. While this is certainly an option, if you’re having trouble with other players, wait to complete this challenge until later in the week. Alternatively, you can try your luck in the 50v50 LTM. Since player stats are not tracked in this mode, it’s an ideal time to attempt challenges. Instead of fearing elimination, you’ll have to race against the droves of your teammates also dropping here!
Use Rift Portals
For our next challenge, Epic Games is embracing one of the new gameplay elements added for Season 5. Players must Use 3 Rift Portals. After the sky-shattering rocket launch at the climax of Season 4, a number of rifts appeared in-game. These wormhole-like anomalies are suspended in mid-air and emit a warbling sound when players draw near. Upon making contact, players are teleported into the air above the rift. From here, players can essentially “re-launch” and either speed back to the ground or deploy their umbrella and float. These rifts offer numerous tactical advantages, as they allow players to reposition themselves during firefights, traverse locations more quickly, and escape the storm more easily.
To find exact rift locations, consult the map below. I would recommend landing in the southeast corner of the map, near Paradise Palms. There are numerous rift portals in this area, often clustered together, and it’s fairly easy to enter multiple rifts in a row. After taking your first rift, deploy your glider immediately and scout the area for the next rift. Alternate between gliding and freefall to get there quickly, float into the rift, and repeat.
Now that’s what I call Fortnite: Tokyo Rift.
Eliminate opponents in a single match
For the last of Week 5’s free challenges, Epic is turning up the difficulty a bit. Each week, the challenges span a variety of actions, from dealing damage and eliminations to scouring the map and making use of the game’s unique quirks. However, unlike the other elimination-based challenges so far this season, this challenge is limited to a single match. Indeed, players must Eliminate 3 opponents in a single match.
There are a few different approaches one can take to achieve this. First, if you’re someone who is comfortable with the game, just play as you normally would. Even if you don’t win the match, it’s not uncommon for players who reach the top ten to amass multiple eliminations along the way.
Second–and this is a bit dirty–but rely on “third-partying.” Third-partying is a term used to describe someone who interrupts two other players mid-battle. The reason for doing this is that the players have already dealt damage to each other, so it’s easier for the third person to finish one or both of them. While this may be seen as an honorless tactic, it’s not without merit. Take, for example, last week’s Summer Skirmish tournament. Contestants were rewarded for having four or more eliminations in a single match, and even professional players resorted to this tactic in order to achieve those points.
Lastly, when in doubt, hop in 50v50. Your teammates are fodder for the enemy’s bullets, and you can strike while they’re distracted. Furthermore, you have extra firepower on your side, so this is a good option for new or nervous players. Solo confrontations are difficult, so work as a team and you’ll have this in no time. If you’re having difficulty, secure an explosive weapon and lob grenades or rockets into a crowd.
Deal damage to players with a Clinger, Stink Bomb, or Grenade
Next, we have the Battle Pass challenges. Like last week’s sniper rifle challenge, this week’s weapon-based feat is to Deal damage to players with a Clinger, Stink Bomb, or Grenade. It takes 300 cumulative damage across all three of those weapon types to complete this challenge. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, this is definitely easiest to complete in the 50v50 LTM. Unlike the Season 5, Week 1 challenges, which required players to achieve eliminations with these three weapons, Week 5 actually takes the easy route. Similar to my advice for the previous challenge, lobbing any of these items into a crowd will do the trick. Stink Bomb has an approximately 1×1 area of effect, while Clingers and Grenades deal a decent radius of splash damage. Precision is not required.
Hit a golf ball from tee to green on different holes
When Season 5 launched, so many new attractions and functions were added to Fortnite that it overwhelmed players, both new and old. While the significant changes to the map and the plethora of new cosmetics stole the spotlight, another change surprised players for how purely unexpected it was. Now, instead of constantly firing bullets and bombs at one another, players also have access to “toys.” These items are activated the same way as emotes and sprays, but differ in that they create a physical object in the game world. In this case, we have beach balls, basketballs, and golf balls.
Thanks to these toys, challenges such as Week 5’s Hit a golf ball from tee to green on different holes are now possible. This is similar to a Season 5, Week 2 challenge, which was to score a basket on different hoops. For this week’s challenge, there’s actually a prerequisite, even for players with the Battle Pass. The golf ball toy is not unlocked until level 27, so try and complete some of the earlier challenges to catch up if you’re not there already. Once you have the toy, land at the Lucky Links point of interest. Fortunately, this location is surrounded by a golf course, so finding tees is no problem. Unfortunately, there is little to no cover from enemies. I’d suggest taking this challenge slow. Wait for the din of battle to subside, and settle for a hole or two per match. It is golf, after all.
Follow the treasure map found in Snobby Shores
Remember Snobby Shores? This location hasn’t seen much attention from Epic since Season 5 started, but that’s about to change. For the next Week 5 Battle Pass challenge, players are on the hunt for a hidden Battle Star. To find it, Follow the treasure map found in Snobby Shores. Or, of course, you can just head over to the spot we’ve marked below. For these challenges, a treasure map appears in-game for players with the Battle Pass, pictured on the left below. These maps depict crude drawings of various locations in the game world. From this, players are to determine exactly where x marks the spot. Some weeks, Epic hides a Battle Star between three landmarks listed in the challenge description. Other times, like for Week 5, it’s hidden on a map.
This week’s map clearly shows Haunted Hills, recognizable from its tombstones and iconic church building. The hidden Battle Star treasure can be found on the building due north of the church.
Eliminate opponents in Shifty Shafts
Last but not least, Battle Pass players must Eliminate 3 opponents in Shifty Shafts. Fortunately, unlike this week’s other elimination challenge, these three don’t have to be in the same match. Overall, this is a pretty straightforward challenge. If you’re having difficulty, consider the fact that Shifty Shafts is a very claustrophobic area. There’s not a lot of room in the tunneling lower levels, so utilize short-range weaponry to your advantage. In fact, this is an excellent opportunity to familiarize yourself with the new Double Barrel Shotgun that released this week. Though it lacks range and has a high spread, this is a devastating weapon when the enemy’s close. If your first shots don’t down the enemy, use the numerous corners in the mine shafts to your advantage and take cover quickly.
Alternatively, if getting up close and personal isn’t your modus operandi, there are a few surrounding hilltops that provide a fair vantage point over Shifty Shafts. Take the high ground and rain fire upon enemies battling below. You’ll have the challenge complete–and an extra ten Battle Stars–in no time.
That’s it for this week’s guide! Hopefully, with our help, you’re able to breeze through the Season 5, Week 5 challenges. Completing all of the challenges unlocks a total of 50 Battle Stars and an extra 5,000 XP. This doesn’t include the new loading screen or the hidden Battle Star found within. Good luck on your quest, and be sure to visit our Season 5, Week 4 guide if you missed it. Until next time, enjoy the game and this weekend’s Summer Skirmish!
Published: Aug 9, 2018 10:00 am