How many storm circles are there in a game of Fortnite?

While players know about the Storm, not everyone notices how many storm circles there are in a game of Fortnite. With most players getting eliminated by mid-game, not many survive long enough to get a headcount. Those who do survive are too busy fighting to pay attention.

The only thing Loopers care about is the warning that appears when the Storm is about to shrink. Some even tend to miss out on these and get consumed by the Storm. That being said, there are a total of nine storm circles in every match in-game. Each circle functions the same, but with minor changes in its statistics.

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How do storm circles function in Fortnite?

Depending on which stage is active, the damage, shrink time, and grace period scale accordingly. The higher the stage number, the greater the damage, and the lower the shrink time and grace period. Here's a breakdown of how the storm circles function in Fortnite:

Stage	Grace Period	Shrink Time	Damage while shrinking (DPS)	Damage after shrinking (DPS)	Storm Eye Diameter after closing
1	03:20	04:00	1	1	1600 m
2	02:00	02:00	1	2	800 m
3	01:30	01:30	2	5	400 m
4	01:20	01:10	5	8	200 m
5	00:50	01:00	8	10	100 m
6	00:30	01:00	10	10	50 m
7	00:00	00:55	10	10	35 m
8	00:00	00:45	10	10	20 m
9	00:00	01:15	10	10	0 m

To summarize the table, don't stay in the Storm or risk being eliminated. Before the circle can shrink, it's best to rotate to a new safe zone. Nevertheless, players can bend these rules at the start of the match. Since early storm circles inflict low damage, players can potentially survive by healing themselves.

That said, remember that the table for the Storm is only for normal playlists. It functions differently in arenas and competitive matches. Additionally, in those modes, a mechanic called Storm Surge is also present.

Latest Storm Surge values in Fortnite (Image via Twitter/FNCompetitive)

If players are below a set damage threshold, Storm Surge affects them by dealing 25 damage every 5 seconds. This mechanic makes short work of anyone left in the Storm and is mainly implemented to stop players from Storm camping.

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Can players camp in the Storm in Battle Royale mode?

No. Unless players plan on being self-eliminated, camping the Storm is impossible in Fortnite at present. Until Chapter 3 Season 2, camping was still possible if Loopers could stockpile many healing items.

With the help of tents and campfires, players could survive for quite some time. However, at the start of Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 3, all that came to an end. Epic Games introduced a brand new mechanic called Storm Sickness.

Storm Sickness is best avoided in a match (Image via Twitter/HYEPX)

After the seven-minute mark spent in the Storm, players will start sustaining 15 damage every second. Even if they are to rapidly consume healing items or sit next to a campfire, being eliminated is only a matter of time.

While this mechanic was a welcome change, it left many players too scared to fight in the Storm. Currently, most players rotate to a new safe zone as soon as possible to avoid Storm Sickness. Although they would have to be Storm campers to be infected by this mechanic, no one wants to take the risk.

It's far better to be eliminated in combat than perish alone in the Storm. Furthermore, when inside the safe zone, there's a higher chance that players will retrieve their teammate's reboot card and revive them during the match.