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Whether it’s in Solo or Squads, everyFortniteplayer could use an extra gun to help them in the conquest to claim a Victory Royale. SinceFortniteis a rather difficult Battle Royale, players might want to drop from the Battle Bus and hire an extra hand so that they have the support and firepower that they need in order toclaim victory once more.
With Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 1, there are 4 hireable NPCs found on the map, and these Specialists will all have their own asking price, weaponry, and special function, so players will need to know where they can be found and what they actually do so that they have the best AI-teammate possible.
Weapon
Surgfire SMG
Helsie is located at Canyon Crossing, a bottom left POI close to Shogun’s Solitude. Helsie is usually found roaming the upper part of Canyon Crossing closest to the buildings by the road.
Helsie is most likely the best NPC to hire due to her role as a Medic Specialist, as she will randomly throw Chug Splashes towards the player and their allies when they are in need of any Health or Shield, no matter how little that might be. While her Specialist role is great, Helsie doesn’t have the best weapon, asher Surgefire SMGlacks the accuracy from far away battles, and only sees an increase in the rate of fire with consistent use.
FortniteChapter 6 Season 1’s Week 7 quest: Gain health or shields while you have a specialist (0/50) is easily completed with Helsie, as she will throw Chug Splashes at the player.
Holo Twister AR
Vi is located at the Rolling Blossoms Farm, which is found between Seaport City and Hopeful Heights, noted by the colorful blossom fields.
As a Scout Specialist, Vi will randomly throw out a recon pulse that will reveal other enemies on the map that are within the vicinity of Vi’s scanner. This means that players will be able to mark other players as red blips and even see their outlines, making it possible to catch them unaware or stay focused on their positioning to avoid being caught by an unexpected play. Vi also hasone of the best weaponsfor a hired NPC, as she carries the Holo Twister Assault Rifle, providing her with decent range for battles at a distance.
Fury AR
Mizuki is located at Lost Lake, which is one of the POIs close to the center of the map, but more to the upper left between Twinkle Terrace and Brutal Boxcars.
As a Supply Specialist, Mizuki will randomly throw out ammunition depending on what the players on her team need. This can be great for players who want to abuse the supply system, as depending on what they are holding, depends on what Mizuki provides. If players hold a Shockwave Grenade, they will drop some, and vice versa for the ammo depending on the weapon type the player has. As for her weapon, Mizuki uses the Fury AR, which despite thenotion of hitscan, suffers from its recoil and lack of range.
Sentinel Pump Shotgun
Cinder is located at the Open-Air Onsen, which is a Landmark found South of Demon’s Dojo, located in a small lake just before the road to Shattered Span.
As a Heavy Specialist, Cinder is a bit of a risky player to have on the team due to her role, as she will just throw grenades. That’s about it for her Specialist ability, and while these grenades won’t harm the player, they might be a bit of a nuisance due to the fact that they can destroy structures. Cinder is a walking bullet sponge because of this, and even her main weapon, the Sentinel Pump Shotgun, proves her efficiency at close-range battles.
How Do Specialists/Hired NPCs Work?
Each Specialist has a unique ability that they can activate randomly once they have been hired. Not every Specialist is the same, meaning that their ability and their tool kit will be different. However, what is consistent across the hired NPCs is that they will always follow the player who hired them, even in a Squad setting. Individual players cannot hire multiple Specialists, but another player on the team who has not hired a Specialist can. This means that players can claim all 4 Specialists in a Squads match, and have 8 players (4 real, 4 NPCs) in their team.
The behavior of a Specialist works like a bot does in a Battle Royale match, as it will follow the player who hired them, and then immediately become aggressive when they spot a hostile player. Their accuracy isn’t great, so they aren’t the most reliable when it comes to dealing damage, but where they really shine is in the fact that they are essentially a bullet sponge to take the aggro of enemies.Hireable NPCs have around 400 Shield and 100 Health, and these can be restored with Chug Splashes. This is what makes NPCs such a viable option in combat, due to their large health pool to keep the enemy’s attention, while also using their Specialist ability to aid their allies.
The map below will showcase exactly where each hireable NPC can be found:
FortniteChapter 6 Season 1 only has 4 Specialists, as seen in the map above, but that doesn’t mean that more won’t come in the future, especially with the impending arrival of Chapter 6 Season 2.
