How to spectate your friends playing Fortnite

Sometimes, it’s nice to take a break from battling in Fortnite and spectate instead, and here’s how to watch the game rather than compete.

There are a number of reasons why players might choose to act as Fortnite spectators rather than actually participate. Watching can provide valuable insight into strategies and new tricks, especially for those newer to the game. In some cases, it can even help give teams a competitive edge should an unfortunate elimination happen.

Players have a few different options for spectating in their own and other’s Fortnite games, all of which are relatively convenient to access.

How to spectate in Fortnite

There are two main ways to spectate in a Fortnite match, either by getting eliminated or watching the game directly from the lobby. During competitive Fortnite, players may be able to get a glimpse at a more detailed spectator mode.

Get eliminated

The easiest way to become a spectator in Fortnite is by getting eliminated. After dying, players will receive the option to spectate or return to the lobby. The game assigns those who select “spectate” to a random teammate or the opponent who killed them depending on if any team members remain. Players can also switch who they watch by navigating between active parties at the bottom of their screen.

Spectating after elimination isn’t just for fun or cheering for others, however. Eliminated players can still see the map and use voice or text chat, providing valuable information to teammates.

Spectate from the lobby

For players who want to spectate but don’t want to ruin their stats by getting eliminated, they can choose to watch from the lobby rather than actually jump off of the Battle Bus. The ability to watch without participating is relatively uncommon in battle royale games. Fortunately, Fortnite has made it very easy for players to watch their friends compete.

• Select a friend from the friends list
• Right-click on their name and pick “Join Party”
• Wait for thirty seconds
• Click on the friend’s name again and choose “Watch Game”

Notably, those who want to watch from the lobby don’t have access to any in-game mechanics, like the voice chat or pinging a location on the map. Lobby spectating is much more like watching TV where the program just happens to be Fortnite.

Additionally, players are only able to spectate from friends’ lobbies. Fortnite used to let players watch the game from strangers’ parties. However, they removed this feature after a significant uptick in toxic behavior and rule-breaking.

Competition spectating

Several times a year, fans can watch the Fortnite Competitive Series with special features usually not available to spectators. These include: player health, shields, and positions, item locations, and more. As can be assumed, any of the information viewable in tournaments would probably break the game for regular players. For competitive Fortnite, it can make the spectating experience much more interesting.

The first Fortnite Major of 2025 starts on January 29 and runs through February 16. Any fans hoping to see the expanded spectator mode can check out the official streaming page at the start of the tournament.