What is an ascender and how to use one in Fortnite

With the introduction of the Zero Build mode in Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 2, taking the high ground has become a challenge. Instead of simply building to reach a strategic location, Loopers have to get creative or take the long way around.

This has become the norm when playing in areas with a lot of uneven terrain like Rocky Reels. Without the ability to build, players have to find an alternative means to overcome obstacles such as cliffs.

Thankfully, the developers had proper foresight. They introduced a simple yet amazing device to allow players to effortlessly traverse to the high ground. The devices in question are called ascenders and can be found in numerous locations all over the map.

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Fortnite players can use ascenders to climb cliffs and high grounds that are difficult to reach

In essence, ascenders are nothing but ziplines that function vertically. Instead of moving from side-to-side, players can move up and down. Instead of going around the sides of hills and cliffs, players can use these to quickly traverse the terrain.

To use one, players simply have to interact with them to get going. They are a bit faster than ziplines and falling off one mid-way will not cause fall damage. However, there are some dangers associated with them.

While they are faster, a trained sniper can easily pick off a player in transit. This makes them risky to use in high density areas or POIs in which the Imagined Order and The Seven forces are fighting.

Nevertheless, they offer players a swift way to rotate and escape from enemies. If nothing else, they can even use an ascender to bait opponents to follow them up. Once at the very top, they can use a shotgun to shoot whoever comes up next. Sadly, ascenders are disappearing from the game at a rapid pace.

While many are located on cliff faces and steep hills, most are found under Imagined Order Airships. With one being destroyed every week, it won't be long before all of them are gone.

By the time the season ends, the number of usable ascenders will be minimal. Hopefully, Epic Games will add more of them to Fortnite during the next season. Without the ability to build, these are life-savers in certain situations.

In addition to adding more of them, the placement also has to be done tactfully. Rather than limiting them to rocky terrain, they should be evenly distributed across the map. This will greatly help Fortnite players with mobility and rotation.