Fortnite Season 8 has introduced several mechanics and systems that players will have to familiarize themselves with if they hope to complete all their punchcards.
"Sideways encounters" are among the new additions and are essential parts of certain questlines in the battle royale. Here is everything you need to know about these events and how to complete them.
What Is the Sideways in 'Fortnite' Season 8?
Many players will first come across Sideways encounters by accident.
While you are exploring Fortnite Island, you will naturally be drawn towards the giant orange spheres that have enveloped certain points of interest around the map. If you are brave enough to head through one of these pulsating membranes, you will enter an alternate dimension known as "the Sideways."
This place is somewhat reminiscent of the Upside Down in Stranger Things. Everything is shrouded in a dark mist, gravity is heavily distorted and a hive of monsters will fiercely defend their territory against intruders.
Given that it is such a perilous environment, you might be wondering why you have to venture into this dimension in the first place. For a start, there are loot chests in the Sideways containing rare gear that cannot be found elsewhere. Second, if you manage to survive in one of the affected areas for a predetermined amount of time, you will be rewarded with a generous haul of experience points (XP).
What Are 'Sideways Events' in 'Fortnite' Season 8?
The first time that you will see the words "Sideways encounter" in Fortnite will likely be when you are trying to tick off the various quests in Torin's punchcard.
The fifth mission associated with this new character (who can be found near the Aftermath point of interest on the map) tasks you with completing a Sideways encounter but does not give you any direction beyond that.
Luckily, it is a straightforward assignment once you understand the basic principle. In a nutshell, you need to visit the Sideways dimension during an online match and withstand the horde of monsters that are triggered by your arrival. It might seem like there is an endless wave of creatures to deal with, but there are only a finite number and you can defeat them all.
The Sideways monsters are formidable opponents, though, and you will also have to contend with rival players taking pot-shots at you while you are distracted.
To improve your chances of completing the encounter, do not head into the Sideways at the beginning of the match, as that is what everyone else will do. Instead, spend those first few minutes scavenging weapons outside the dome and head in only when everybody else has either left or died.
In terms of dealing with the monsters themselves, remember to keep moving at all times and use the low-gravity conditions to your advantage. The standard grunt enemies in particular will struggle to reach you if you are perched atop a building.
Finally, try to pick up some of the powerful Sideways weapons to tilt the odds in your favor. These can be found in the ornate purple loot boxes that are scattered around the environment.
Once all the monsters are slain, you will have completed the Sideways encounter as well as Torin's punchcard. You will receive a substantial amount of XP for your trouble, which will hopefully level you up enough to get some more battle stars.
Fortnite Season 8, also known as "Cubed," is available now on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, PC and Android devices.
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