Fortnite: How to spend gold bars

Gold bars are a form of in-game currency in Fortnite's Battle Royale mode that can be used to buy items (weapons/medical supplies) and services. They can also be used to upgrade certain weapons in the field using Upgrade Benches.

As part of the Bargain Bin Week challenge, you will need to spend a total of 5,000 gold bars in-game. The challenge is broken up into five stages, and completing each stage will reward 20,000 experience points. Here's how to spend gold bars wisely in Fortnite.

Spend gold bars in Fortnite to earn XP (Image via Twitter/iFireMonkey)

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A step-by-step guide on how to spend gold bars in Fortnite

1) Collect 5,000 gold bars (skip this step if you already have close to the required amount)

The number of gold bars you have can be seen on the left-hand side of the screen (Image via Epic Games)

In the current season, 5,000 gold bars is the maximum amount you can collect in-game, and picking up any more will be pointless. That said, not everyone has enough gold bars, and to complete this stage-orientated challenge, players will have to find some. There are two main ways in which gold bars can be earned.

You can choose a combat-focused route and earn some bars by eliminating AI and opponents. This includes completing bounties from the Bounty Board. Alternatively, you can search Cash Registers, Chests, and Safes.

The optimal way to find gold bars will be via a healthy mix of combat and exploration, the second of which is the safest option. Once you have close to 5,000 gold bars, you can begin spending freely.

Here are the requirements and rewards gained for completing each stage:

Amount of gold bars to spend per stage	XP reward earned per stage
500	20,000
1,000	20,000
2,000	20,000
3,000	20,000
5,000	20,000

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2) Spend gold bars to Upgrade Benches, hire NPCs, and purchase Exotic Weapons

Upgrade Benches

Keep an eye out for Upgrade Benches (Image via Epic Games)

The most judicious way to spend gold is by upgrading weapons in-game. Since higher rarity weapons have improved stats, getting the best ones will improve your odds of winning. However, don't waste your gold bars by upgrading weapons of common and uncommon rarity.

Given that rare weapons can be found as floor loot, spending gold bars to upgrade anything lower than epic rarity is a waste. With that said, here are all the Upgrade Bench locations in Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 4.

NPCs

Not all NPCs can be hired (Image via Epic Games)

If weapons are not your strong point, there's always the option of hiring NPCs. Although they're not very adept at fighting for an extended duration, they can come in handy during early-game skirmishes, and can even be used to draw enemy fire or act as bait.

Either way, for the price of 100 gold bars, they are worth their weight in gold. On that note, you can even buy services from NPCs scattered throughout the island. This includes items such as ammo, medical supplies, and weapons. Some even sell Exotic Weapons.

Exotic Weapons

Shadow Tracker is a really fun Exotic Weapon to use (Image via Epic Games)

Another great way to spend gold bars in Fortnite is by purchasing Exotic Weapons. Certain NPCs sell overpowered weapons that will give you an in-game advantage. However, you can only use them for the duration of a single match.

Players will need to make the most of their weapons during a single match. Thus, purchasing it early in the game is a good choice. Here's a complete list of all the Exotic Weapons for Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 4.