How to Unlock Supply Drops in Fortnite’s Battle Royale Mode (Updated)

The latest patch for Fortnite has brought some significant changes to the gameplay, such as adjustments to assault rifles, increased ammo stack sizes, supply drops, and new weapons that will only appear in those drops and nowhere else.

UPDATE (10/4/2017)

Due to bugs in the supply drops system for Fortnite’s Battle Royale mode, the developers have temporarily disabled the option. It should be back soon some time later this week.

Here are the messages on the developers’ official Twitter:

You get a Supply Drop! And you get a Supply drop! We’ve turned them off until we can fix the issue. pic.twitter.com/dVMElc4rGd

— Fortnite (@FortniteGame) September 26, 2017

We have updated the notes with important news! Supply Drops & Duos next week. Leaderboards the week after: https://t.co/OfvgMYA7QI

— Fortnite (@FortniteGame) September 29, 2017

The supply drops happen randomly and rarely, so don’t expect it to happen every match. But first, you need to unlock the supply drops through the skill tree — and if you don’t know how to do it, then read our step-by-step guide below.

How to Get Supply Drops in Fortnite

Follow the red line

Step 1: Unlock Skill Tree Tier 1

In order to unlock a skill tree, you need to purchase it with a certain number of skill points that can be obtained from rewards. You get the rewards after completing missions and quests, leveling up your commander, and breaking Llamas.

This first Skill Tree includes 74 skill nodes, but you don’t need to unlock them all in order to get to supply drops.

Step 2: Unlock the Outlander Branch

All you need is to go through the initial ten nodes until you reach the Outlander perks branch (the second from the bottom). The list of the first ten nodes includes:

1. Constructor Leadership: Allows Constructors to join you hero squads.
2. Upgrade Pickaxe: Do more damage to objects when hitting them with pickaxe
3. Unlock Survivor Squads: Fire Team Alpha nd EMT Squad
4. Unlock Research: Tier 1
5. Fortitude: Improves fortitude
6. Offense: Improves offense
7. Resistance: Improves resistance
8. Tech: Improves tech
9. Unlock Recycling and Collection Book: Allows resycling and retirement of schematics, survivors, defenders, and heroes of up to uncommon rarity.
10. Defender Slot: Unlocks the Rifleman slot in the Homebase Storm Shield.

Step 3: Unlock Supply Drops

After you’ve unlocked the first ten skills, you will come to the last skill before venturing into the Outlander’s branch:

• Land Expedition Vehicle: Heroes can be sent from your homebase for several hours, returning with the resources they have gathered.

After that go down the branch, and finally, you will be able to unlock the Supply Drop gadget. It has the cooldown of 330 seconds, and it drops 60 wood, 60 stone, and 60 metal.

When you see a crate attached to a balloon dropping from the sky, shoot the balloon immediately, so it lands faster. This will work in your favor, especially if you’re closer to it than other players, so you can get all the good loot first.

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That is all you need to know in order to unlock the Supply Drops, and for other Fortnite guides follow the links below:

• How to Survive in Battle Royale Mode
• How to Repair Weapons
• Guide To Evolving Everything
• Guide To Stats And Survivor Squads