Fortnite might be the biggest battle royale game in the world, but until recently, it lacked a certain feature that fans were calling for: vehicles to smash into each others’ looping spires, flimsy houses, and other zany creations. Well, thanks to their steady stream of content updates, Epic has finally added in a real-deal vehicle for their legions of royalers to take for a spin. Here’s a guide on how to make the most of Fortnite's ATK.
What the heck is the ATK, anyway?
The ATK (or All-Terrain Kart) is one of the two major vehicles in Fortnite, and the only one that features an actual, you know, engine. It was added in the beginning of Season 5 back in early July, along with a raft of additional content, including significant changes to the terrain of the island, as well as a new Battle Pass.
Where do I find one?
As with almost all of the items in Fortnite, the ATK is governed by the same invisible dice rolls that determine whether or not the house you drop next to packs a pistol or a high-rarity assault rifle within its crumbling walls. Check this location guide for more info, but if you’re really trying to get at the ATK easily, just check out the racetrack on the southeast corner of the map, near Paradise Palms.
OK, I’m in the golf cart. How do I drive this thing?
Though we can all agree that a mouse and keyboard gives most players a competitive advantage in Fortnite, this is one situation where you might want to bust out your old 360 pad. If you’re planning on doing some serious driving in one, you should probably keep it handy, and use your old M+K for everything else. On a 360 pad, the right trigger accelerates, the left trigger brakes and reverses, and the X button brings you into a power-slide, Mario Kart-style. You can also pump the left stick to change the seat you’re in. If you’re sticking with your QWERTY, you can maneuver with the classic WASD, the space-bar provides the handbrake, and the CTRL key switches you and your buddies around.
I see other people boosting and sliding all over the place. How do I do that?
As in every kart-racing game ever made since 1997, if you power-slide for long enough, you’ll eventually build up a blue boost on your tail, which you activate by coming out of the slide. If you wait a bit longer, the blue aura will turn red, and you’ll get that much more speed and momentum coming out of it. In general, if you aren’t currently under fire, and you need a shortcut, spinning around in circles in an open area is the easiest way to get the power that you need to go off a slope for a big jump. If you jump for long enough, a point counter will appear, totalling your distance and height, so go for broke.
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How do I jump farther?
It can be really difficult to get any meaningful hang-time without that all-important boost, so make sure you’re pumping it for all it’s worth. If you’re lucky enough to have passengers, however, they can all lean back by holding back on the left stick or with the S key. If they let go at the same time, you’ll get a lot more bang for your buck. If you’re alone, however, it’s just kind of sad. (Note this doesn’t apply to the driver.)
What else should I know?
Watch your back—ATK drivers and passengers are sitting ducks, especially late in a Royale. Also, the roof of the kart is a bounce pad, so if you absolutely need to get onto somebody’s tower, there’s your shortcut.
