How to Get the Jetpack in Fortnite

The long, agonizing wait for full flight in Fortnite is over! Announced way back in February and then put on the back burner so the developers could focus on other limited time events and items, the jetpack finally made it to Fortnite.

After the low gravity hop rocks appeared at Risky Reels and Dusty Divot at the start of Season 4, it seemed like Fortnite’s jetpacks were forever forgotten. Now that they’ve arrived with the 4.2 update, we’ve got all the details on where to pick them up and how to use them!

Finding It

Legendary rarity drops like the Jetpack are a whole new class of item known as a backpack, with more types besides the jetpack due to be added in the future. While you can loot them from dead players, you won’t find them as normal ground loot because they only spawn in treasure chests.

Like any other weapon or consumable healing item, the jetpack takes up an inventory slot and can be moved around or swapped out for another item. Any back bling cosmetic items you have equipped will be effectively hidden while the jetpack is equipped.

 Jetpacking over a house to get a good shot
(thanks to NoahJ456 for the screenshot)

How To Use It

To activate the Jetpack, just hit the jump button while already in mid-air. This will engage the jets and give you enhanced mobility and movement — like an upgraded version of the hop rock.

There’s a catch, though — jetpacks don’t last forever and you can’t just zip around the air killing all the ants (er, players) on the ground below.

Each thrust of the jetpack has a limited duration that runs out rapidly. It lasts longer than the hop rocks, but its still a limited-time effect.

To begin the recharge, land and leave the jetpack turned off for a second or so. If you run out of charge for the jetpack altogether by using it too long, it will crumble into dust and disappear from your inventory, bringing you back bling item back into view.

While perfect for re-positioning, the jetpack is actually less about getting kills from the air than you might expect. There’s one major reason for this — you can’t enter weapon targeting mode at all while the jetpack is engaged. Yep, you are firing blind.

That makes weapons like the rocket launcher or shotgun a lot more effective than the sniper rifle with the jetpack, unless you can perfectly time disengaging the jetpack, switching to your gun, and getting off a shot before you start falling (and I have no doubt some pro player will!).

 Woo-hoo, for once they weren’t lying about what “coming soon” means! 

That’s all you need to know for now about the new jetpack Fortnite 4.2 update! Where did you find your first jetpack, and have you pulled off any amazing mid-air kills with it yet?

Let us know your best jetpack kill story below, and if you are still looking for help to wrap up the other Season 4 challenges, check out the rest our Fortnite guides at GameSkinny below:

• Challenge Guide: Search between a Bench, and Ice Cream Truck, and a Helicopter
• Map Guide: Wailing Woods Chest Locations
• Rubber Duckies & Salty Springs Map Guide
• Challenge Guide: Search between a Scarecrow, Pink Hotrod, and a Big Screen
• Season 4 Week 2 Camera Locations Guide
• Your Cheat Sheet for Fortnite‘s Thanos Mode
• Tomato Town Map & Loot Location Guide
• Risky Reels Is Fortnite‘s Best New Landing Zone
• Essential Dusty Divot Tips & Tricks for Fortnite Season 4 (Plus How to Get Hop Rocks)