What are Hideouts in Fortnite and how to use them?

There are two core mechanics in Fortnite, shooting and building, but there are also other factors that you can use to your advantage to get a Victory Royale. Stealth is one of the most overlooked mechanics in Fortnite. If you play your cards right, you can even qualify for the world cup without using guns.

Hideouts have been excellent tools to get off the grid during a Fortnite match and a recent tweet from Epic Games, saying it was disabling them due to a bug showcased that a decent chunk of the player base didn’t even know what hideouts were in Fortnite.

Hideouts have been around in Fortnite ever since chapter two, season one. They come in various shapes and sizes. A hideout can be a haystack, a dumpster, or even a phone booth. Hideouts are usually randomly distributed around the map, but you can run into more of them around areas that feature henchmen or any AI-based in-game enemies.

Hideouts are generally used to cause your enemies to lose track of you. Henchmen and other similar enemies will instantly consider you gone once you start hiding inside a hideout, making them an outstanding tool to get away from commotion if a bunch of them is chasing you.

How can you use Hideouts in Fortnite?

Using hideouts is fairly simple. Similar to other in-game elements like doors and chests, you’ll also be able to interact with hideouts. Doing so will allow you to hide inside of them. Once you’re hiding, you won’t be visible from any directions, and your enemies will only be able to see the hideout you’re inside. 

If your hideout somehow gets destroyed by gunfire, or anything similar, you’ll be visible again. You can also hop out of your hideout to surprise your enemies, but note that you won’t be able to use your gun immediately after jumping out. There’s a second delay before you can shoot. This mechanic gives your opponent a chance to fight back since you already have the element of surprise on your side.

Considering most players weren’t even aware of hideouts and they now do due to them being disabled for a short time, it may be a wise idea to expect camping enemies inside them once they’re enabled again.