How does drifting work in Fortnite Rocket Racing Explained

Rocket Racing, as any self-respecting racing game should, has the drifting mechanic, which allows you to gain boosts whilst rounding bends and overtaking your opponents.

If you’ve played other drifting games, this may feel rather strange and unfamiliar. Don’t let your previous race game experience get in the way here.

Drifting in Rocket Racing

In Rocket Racing, you can drift to get around bends and receive a boost. However, everyone who has played Mario Kart before (which is everyone, full stop) has been subtly brainwashed when it comes to drifting. Even I was a victim of this. Drifting in Rocket Racing does not work the same here, in fact, it works completely differently.

When drifting, don’t wiggle yourself back and forth in an attempt to “prolong” the drift to get around nasty bends. In Rocket Racing, when you drift, you must straighten up to receive the boost.

Upon hitting the stick shift button, you’ll be drifting in that direction. The bar that’ll appear will represent how much you’ve “drifted,” and therefore how big of a boost you’ll receive when you straighten up.

Related: How does the Ranked system work in Fortnite Rocket Racing

Bigger bends will have you drifting for longer, and so the bar will fill up more and more. As long as you commit to the drift and straighten up by turning, you’ll hit the bigger boosts. Try to drift around every bend, as every little short boost will help.

Also, by drifting, you’ll fill up your turbo meters much quicker, which will give you a much better edge, as you’ll be going turbo much more often than your competitors. Boosting allows you to charge ahead with incredible speed, and you can store up to three of them.

If you want to practice drifting, hit the tutorial, or go into “Game Mode” and select a track to play solo. Practicing will give you a better feel for drifting in Rocket Racing. Better yet, play some friendly matches with your friends so you know what it’s like with other cars trying to do the same thing. You’ll learn when is best to commit to a longer drift, and when you should just take the smaller ones.

P.S. Practice going turbo after a particularly good drift boost to seriously soar past your opponents. Learning little nuances like that will give you an edge over the average racer and will advance you through the ranks.

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