Epic Games’ Battle Royale, Fortnite, is constantly growing with new content and mechanics. However, sometimes developers remove features that players enjoy with new updates. One example of this is the option to spectate, which used to be visible on the main menu.
The feature to spectate game matches was first introduced in Chapter 2. Currently, we are on Chapter 3, Season 4, which debuted in September 2022. The option to spectate is missing in the current state of Fortnite. Specifically, there is no longer a “Spectate” button on Fortnite’s dashboard as it used to be.
Is there another way to watch matches within the game? Yes, but the current methods are minimal and not as prominent as before.
How to Spectate in Fortnite?
There’re three general ways to spectate games on Fortnite. All of these ways have their restrictions.
- You can watch your own game after you die.
- You can watch your replays.
- Watching the game of a friend.
Unfortunately, Fortnite Chapter 3, Season 4 does not offer alternative ways to spectate. However, there are still some methods that can be used to watch matches, although they are limited.
Epic Games removed the feature Watch Game primarily due to stream sniping, where players would either have the streamer’s match open on one monitor or hire a friend to repeatedly shout out the streamer’s location. This was seen as an unfair advantage and led to increased toxicity and poor game quality.
Currently, the only way to watch a friend’s game is to be in their lobby. Once you have joined the lobby, you must wait at least 30 seconds before being able to see what is happening in the game.
This delay is in place to prevent players from spectating players on the battle bus. After the 30-second delay, you can watch and observe every move your friend makes until the end of the game.
How to spectate other players in Fortnite
Since Epic Games has removed the Watch Game feature from the game, it is not possible to spectate strangers from the pre-lobby. However, you can still watch players who eliminated you from the match.
If the player who eliminated you gets eliminated by someone else, the spectator’s camera will automatically switch to the next player. This allows you to observe the match from the safety of your own chair without worrying about being eliminated.
