Uncover the Best Techniques for Digging in Fortnite

Curious about digging in Fortnite and why it’s crucial in the game?

In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the ins and outs of digging, including how to dig effectively, what you can find while digging, and how to protect yourself during the process.

From choosing the right pickaxe to discovering treasure chests, we’ve got you covered with tips and tricks for successful digging in Fortnite. Let’s dig in!

What Is Digging in Fortnite?

Digging in Fortnite refers to breaking down, burrowing, and tunneling through the ground to build or develop structures and movement paths. You dig in Fortnite to either collect resources or reach different levels of a building to outmaneuver your enemies. You can dig down to escape, or dig horizontal tunnels inside mountains or under the ground to move around without being noticed.

With the new Zero Build Mode, players can no longer break, place or edit structures in the map but have access to pickaxing and can still destroy structures to farm resources. Mining provides an infinite amount of resources to be collected by farming up to a possible maximum of 999 of wood, stone, and metal for building or upgrading your weapons. Everything except the environment, ammunition, medkits, and bounce pads can be harvested to provide the necessary resources players need.

Why Is Digging Important in Fortnite?

Digging is important in Fortnite because it allows players to navigate difficult locations faster, find buried loot around the map, seek hidden items or areas like the Daywalker’s Sword or wreckage of the ship from The Mandalorian, and even build protected underground bunkers. One of the best ways to dig is to pickaxe the building in order to avoid being caught in the storm and take cover from enemy teams. The game designer of Fornite, Donald Mustard, has said in the past that Fortnite will have buildings that players can dig into, so this could be an additional feature in the game in the future.

How To Dig In Fortnite?

To dig in Fortnite, one should press the interact key equivalent to F key on PC, Circle key on PlayStation, and the B key on Xbox twice to switch into the dig animation. They will then place the shovel-shaped harvesting tool on the coveted ground patch away from any rock sources utilized in the game. The digging is a predetermined time once initiated and cannot be hurried, totaling around 4 seconds or two full seconds faster than normal harvesting as of Season 5.

If the floor patch contains dirt, topsoil, or grass, it will slowly sink until the object is fully uncovered. Assuming it makes sense for the player to acquire the critical and difficult-to-collect gold or vault loot, they should immediately collect it. Otherwise, it will be accessible to anyone. To speed up reveal of the item, smash the exposed item or the floor to break the layer covering it.

Choosing the Right Pickaxe

There are three types of pickaxes: Common, the Rare Two-Handed Scythe, and the Laser Pickaxe. According to the Fortnite Battle Royale Guide, the Laser Light Pickaxe is the best for digging.

In Fortnite creative mode, there are numerous frames with steel-reinforced blocks, trees, rocks, vehicles, and even giant dinosaurs. A good way to familiarize yourself with the different pickaxe speeds and effectiveness is to try to dig or mine various objects by using different pickaxe types. The number of pickaxes has grown organically, so the number of different speeds has become almost impossible to determine precisely, but if you are just looking for the best pickaxe to dig quickly, the quickest will have a time of around 1.0-1.3 seconds. Additionally, Fortnite created the “Fortnite PVE Events – Block Partying!” map to provide players with a safe space to experiment with different pickaxes. The map is specifically designed to feature Fortnite’s different pickaxes and not be overwhelmed by opponents.

Finding the Right Spot to Dig

Players can dig at primary and secondary dig spots marked by Gold Llamas and beehives. The Complicovated Seven are behind unique in-game landmarks which have their location marked on the mini-map. The golden door can be found behind the entrance to the secret laboratory in the mountains northeast of Weeping Woods. It is hit or miss whether you find these in a particular match.

Digging is most important inside forts and fort locations where players can get through several layers of upper floors quickly by digging instead of trying to find the staircases inside bandwidth-limited crossings towards siphon accumulators, via fan power up to the satellite arrays on the roof.

Context matters, and it is vital that you are capable of quickly determining the proper accommodations and transmission of fluid materials, information, and supplies and secrets from digging or sealing buildings locally based on how the game unfolds.

Digging Techniques and Strategies

According to the Fortnite Wiki, Fortnite digging is when a player uses a pickaxe to break certain types of walls/floors to navigate new pathways or open hidden containers. When digging down under the pyramid at Tiled Towers, or through ice in the Iceberg biome to open hidden rooms, these are other examples of digging rather than the use of explosives to blast through those walls/floors.

Simply aim at the eligible wall or floor you want to open, then use your pickaxe to start removing blocks. Once all blocks in your targeted area have been destroyed, the wall or floors selected will be destroyed.

Be advised that there is frequent modification in construction types in the game, so mastery over building and editing is important for learning how to dig in Fortnite. The Fortnite Smart Farming video by ItsJerian explains methods to expedite digging in order to efficiently gather wood, metal, or brick materials.

Be aware that not every wall or floor can be dug through. Tier 3 materials made out of metal are the most difficult to dig, taking the longest time (240 pickaxe strikes), while tier 1 walls made of wood are the weakest and require only three quick pickaxe hits to remove, thus enabling digging much easier on tier 1 wood surfaces.

What Can You Find When Digging In Fortnite?

You can find only Subflpor parts when digging in Fortnite. Ahead of now, Shells N Bullets and Scrap Metal, which can be used with a Shots Shotgun to create makeshift shotguns or used as melee axes, were found as items inside the dirt piles players dig up, but they have subsequently been removed. They are still partially found in Scrap Banks.

Subfloor Locations are non-destructible layers of the island that consist of hard surfaces and acts as barriers to prevent players from falling through the ground or phasing into pieces of the island that have no collision. Essentially they fill out the world and give terrain more depth, while being easy and cheap for progress. They are very difficult to dig up due to their large thickness (often a hundred meters or more) and will not reveal any tunnels beneath them. Subfloors are introduced into the game as part of the map design itself and cannot be built by the players.

Resources (Wood, Stone, Metal)

Various resources can be acquired by digging in Fortnite. The primary resource players get when digging is either building wood, stone, or metal materials. Depending on the surface type, players will need between 2-3 shovels (dig actions) to receive between 25-75 units worth of materials in their inventory.

When digging in the ground with a shovel 3 times and next to dirt or grass patches players will receive Surplus Crates. In Creative Mode, escape and choose the following Creative Inventory Filters:

• Miscellaneous
• Gameplay
• Building Gallery
• Sealed/Strengthened Gallery
• Choose the shovel from your Toolbar or Gallery device to start digging

Many items inside the Gallery devices are now just buried. Once players dig with the shovel two times over the item, the item will be picked up into the player’s inventory. A quick and easy way to pick up items and destroy them is to dig two times with the shovel. The items carried would be removed.

Weapons and Items

In Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 8, weapons and items are the items you are most consistently spending time digging for. Players need to get weapons in order to fight and loot areas but those weapons sometimes cannot be found above ground. If a player is looking for a weapon or items at a particular unnamed location, they may refer to the mechanical walls or floors for item chests or hidden zones. If you are looking for items on The Foundation in the Zero Wing area, you may consult the wooden floor panels. Mechanical floors are super easy to locate and break through according to YouTuber FNKi for excellent metal components. These floors are black and patterned out inlantern areas, both indoors and outside around named places. Mechanical walls on the other hand are much rarer. These walls are found under the floor and over the [alf] and are black and slightly payterned but are hidden inside most of The Spire building. These are yellow striped and open the floor crate. Once the materials are farmed from the ground, players can build with them to gain the high ground against their opponents in fights, as well as provide themselves more protection.

Treasure Chests

Treasure chests are boxes that contain high-quality loot including weapons, items, and ammo. They can be found in nearly every named location spread across the maps under beds, dropped off with drones, in secret basement bunkers, or hidden underground. You can find wooden chests by paying attention to the audio clues as you explore buildings, walls, and the environment of Fornite’s maps. You can hear the faint sound of retro electronics emanating out of the chests, which becomes louder as you near the chest. The heads-up-display (HUD) shows the number of meters to the chest and its level of loot quality, designated by colors which include purple, gold, silver grey, and green. The higher the quality of building materials needed to uncover the chest, the better and more varied the loot found inside will be. Wooden chests can be opened by swinging a pickaxe three times, while metal chests require six swings and hatches need nine.

How To Protect Yourself While Digging In Fortnite?

You are protected while digging in Fortnite as long as you have supporting structures. Building a roof and walls over your head while digging underground protects you from players who could shoot from above, and having a ramp beneath your feet protects you from players trying to rush you. You should also go into your inventory and consume any shield protection or health replenishing items you have as these cannot be done while digging, and if you are attacked while you are digging, it will be harder to pull yourself out of the situation than when in combat with another player.

While you won’t be able to actually kill another player while you are hunkered down and dirt mining, you can equip any weapons before finding a digging spot so you are prepared if you need to exit quickly and go back to normal player combat mode. While you can’t actually kill in this mode, focusing on the act of gaining ground can leave you nervous and less attentive. Pull out a weapon so that you are prepared if you need to make a quick escape if an opponent sneaks up on you. If you really want peace of mind, consider asking a teammate to stay above ground and watch to make sure they have your back while you focus on revamping your underground estate.

Building Structures for Cover

Building structures in Fortnite for cover can be very useful when caught in the open during a medium and long-range fight. Building walls, pyramids, or ramps ensures that the opponent has little to no visibility and lower chance of hitting a player. Moreover, all of these structures can reach up to three levels high and have the player fully hidden so that the player gives away his/her location and eliminates the possibility of receiving damage.

Being Aware of Surroundings

Be cautious of your surroundings and potential threats from enemies while digging. Billowing dirt clouds and rustling ground areas created while digging draw attention to your location from afar. Look around regularly while digging for enemy player movements. Do not dig beneath a steep cliffside or inside a small-shot building where opponents might be able to see and shoot you mid-dig. Do not dig in highly trafficked areas with enemy players and AI agents around.

Using Weapons for Defense

You can use weapons as a form of defense while you are digging in Fortnite by eliminating threats as they approach you, such as a player coming to kill you, or a bot that targets you. At close range, shotguns are the ideal weapon for taking down a threat quickly. At medium range, assault rifles are the best option.

Eliminate threats because as the player, Perceptual Blitz, pointed out on YouTube, you cannot turn around quickly while in the digging stance. So if an enemy player snuck up on you, then it would be hard to see them coming and defeat them. The Jetpack is an exception to this turn speed rule. You can turn quickly while digging with the Jetpack activated. At long ranges, you can snipe with rifles. Enemy players may try to attack you from far away to exploit the fact that you cannot defend yourself while digging.

Large and solitary trees (like pine trees) can be used as a form of natural cover while digging in Fortnite. Weapons can be used for close range, mid-range, and far distance attacks to defend your digging space from attack.

Tips and Tricks for Successful Digging in Fortnite

The best tips and tricks for successful digging in Fortnite center around optimization, insulation, make sure items are clearly dropping into position, and not accelerating beyond the player’s ability to interact with them.

1. Insulate yourself from opponents while digging whenever possible.
2. Dig in a location where there is adequate space for the player not only to dig but also to use those resources once dug up.
3. Make sure items are falling in an easy-to-grasp location that does not require the player to run too far to obtain. In other words, make sure it’s just as they dug up rather than accelerating to an overly ambitious bigger stack.
4. You can make digging easier by cycling through weapons in your hand before starting to dig and by turning off auto-pickup.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to Dig in Fortnite?

What tools do I need to dig in Fortnite?
In order to dig in Fortnite, you will need a pickaxe which can be found scattered throughout the game world.

How to Dig in Fortnite?

How do I start digging in Fortnite?
To start digging, simply equip your pickaxe and approach the ground or a structure and press the designated button to start digging.

How to Dig in Fortnite?

Can I dig anywhere in Fortnite?
No, you can only dig in specific areas where the ground or structures are marked with a “diggable” symbol.

How to Dig in Fortnite?

How do I know if I’ve found something while digging?
When you come across a dig site, you will see a glowing outline of the item or loot that can be retrieved. Simply continue digging until you fully uncover it.

How to Dig in Fortnite?

Can I dig for resources in Fortnite?
Yes, digging can yield various resources such as wood, stone, and metal which can be used for building and crafting.

How to Dig in Fortnite?

Are there any dangers while digging in Fortnite?
Yes, while digging you may encounter enemy players who can eliminate you. Make sure to always be aware of your surroundings and be prepared to defend yourself.