Fortnite always keeps coming with things to keep the gameplay loop fresh, and this time it’s the new hero system. The idea is to award aggressive gameplay by giving you boons and better loot. This adds a new layer to the competitive aspect of the game, as competitive games are all about surviving and farming placement points.

With this system, players will be more keen to play aggressively as it allows them to get better weapons and boons. Let’s talk about this system in more depth below.

What is the Hero System in Fortnite

The theme of this season is superheroes, so Fortnite came up with a neat way to tie that in with the gameplay aspect. That is the hero system. When you hop into a match, you will notice a “C” below your map. That’s your hero rank.

During the game, you can do things to increase your Hero Rank it goes. Everyone starts from C and progresses up to B, A, and S ranks, each with their own unique and strong rewards.

Here are the things you can do to increase your Hero Rank.

• Eliminating enemy players
• Surviving Storm phases
• Taking a Sprite to a Shrine
• Eliminating henchmen

The system is designed quite efficiently, ensuring that you don’t have to go out of your way to increase your rank. To put it simply, eliminating players, surviving Storm phases, and the other two are things that you would normally do in a match. This makes sure that the entire process doesn’t feel like a grind but part of the gameplay loop.

You might also notice that the easiest way and safest way to increase your Hero rank is to kill henchmen. They are abundant on the map, and you can easily level up to A just by dropping and rotating through the correct places. Of course, you can also just go haywire on your enemies if that’s your playstyle.

Hero Ranks and Their Rewards

But this begs the question that is upgrading your hero rank even worth it? Well, yes, the higher your rank, the better your loot is, and nobody hates good loot.

You get the Hero Rank rewards from something called Hero Caches, which are, in simple words, chests. Each rank has its own Hero Cache, and you can only unlock it if you are that rank or higher. For example, in order to unlock a Rank A Hero cache, you would need to be Rank A or higher.

The higher the rank cache the better the loot is. For instance, Rank S Hero Cache drops Exotic weapons, which are the strongest in the game. With that said, here are all the Hero Cache drops for each rank.

Rank C Hero Cache (Can be opened right away)

• Uncommon-rarity weapon
• Uncommon-rarity consumable
• A Boon (Not guaranteed)

Rank B Hero Cache

• Rare-rarity weapon
• Rare-rarity consumable
• High chance of a Boon
• Hero Item

Rank A Hero Cache

• Epic-rarity weapon
• Epic-rarity consumable
• Guaranteed Boon
• Hero Item

Rank S Hero Cache

• Legendary-rarity weapon
• Legendary-rarity consumable
• Guaranteed Boon

These rewards make the grind for the Hero Ranks even more worth it.

Boons and Hero Items, Explained

Boons were introduced at the launch of Chapter 6 and have become an integral part of the game. They are basically passive abilities that you get, like faster reload speed, healing, or something along those lines.

This new season brings new boons, and they are now tied with the Hero System, as the higher the rank, the stronger the effect of the boon. You can get them from normal chests, Hero Cache, or if you have the cash, you can buy them at the Academy Tech Labs.

These are the Boons introduced in Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 6.

Storm Caller Boon: You regenerate shield while in the storm. The amount regenerated goes up with each Hero Rank. For those who reach rank S, they get an additional bonus of being able to see the next storm circle.

Speed Healer Boon: You can get the Slap effect by healing during sprinting. The duration of Slap goes up with each rank. The S rank gets the Slap effect immediately when using a healing item, removing the sprint requirement.

Combat Acrobat Boon: Any form of parkour like mantling or climbing walls reloads your equipped weapon; the amount reloaded increases with hero rank. At rank S, this effect applies to all your weapons.

Heightened Senses Boon: Players who attack you are marked, and the duration they’re marked increases with each Hero Rank. Its cooldown is lowered at Rank S.

As for Hero Items, they are weapons of sorts that give you hero-like abilities. You can check out our existing article on Hero Items for more information.

Conclusion

The Hero System is a unique and ingenious addition to the game that adds another layer of fun to Fortnite’s gameplay loop. Getting strong as you survive the game and getting rewarded for your kills is even more fun. After all, the weapons you get at rank S are super strong, and it’s worth the little grind there is for them.