A dedicated Fortnite player, known as Terns on X and Canada in-game, recently achieved an unprecedented feat: reaching level 7,000 after 82 consecutive days of nearly non-stop play. Terns meticulously documented this extensive climb throughout the season, sharing the milestone on social media.
However, this staggering achievement holds little practical value. Fortnite’s significant rewards generally stop at level 200, with higher levels offering no additional items, bonuses, or gameplay advantages. The primary benefit is merely a spot on a leaderboard and bragging rights, which, as Terns himself revealed, isn’t even fully earned. A majority of his progress was made by playing against AI bots instead of actual human opponents.
The player’s tweet detailed their intense journey, stating: “22+ hours a day, 82 days, 7,000 levels. After a LOT of grinding, I’ve finally reached my goal and if I’m correct, the only grinder to ever reach level 7,000 legitimately without glitches or account sharing. Thank you for all your support. 🧡”
Terns explained that his strategy primarily involved playing ‘Reload’ mode this season and utilizing ‘bot lobbies,’ an Epic Games-supported feature where all in-game enemies are easily defeated AI players.
Unsurprisingly, Terns’ announcement sparked widespread mockery on social media, with many users expressing disbelief and questioning the dedication required to spend such an immense amount of time on a single season of Fortnite. One particularly harsh comment called the effort “pathetic,” describing it as “playing nearly three months with no sleep just to say no one has played as much Fortnite as you… grinding the same thing for weeks making your brain go numb so a bunch of 12-year-olds can go ‘woah.'”
Terns further noted that Fortnite’s top leaderboards are frequently populated by players who exploit bugs to inflate their statistics. It’s worth noting that these impressive (or not-so-impressive) levels will reset at the end of the season.
He lamented, “Others are cheating to grind, and it’s mostly the same few people every time. There are teams and clans of glitchers who cheat and try to ruin leaderboards and the integrity of grinding every season.”
While Epic Games attempts to patch these exploits, Terns observed that cheaters swiftly find new ways around them. Interestingly, Terns’ motivation largely stemmed from a small Discord community of fellow grinders who spend hours discussing XP and leveling strategies. He shared, “I’m mainly motivated by talking to other grinders in my own Discord server. We often sit in voice chats together, laughing and discussing XP all day.”
As Fortnite Battle Royale nears its 10-year anniversary, Epic’s creation continues to captivate players like Terns. The game’s enduring appeal is boosted by Epic’s consistent updates, including recent additions like a new Simpsons-themed season.
Having played Fortnite since Chapter 1 Season 9, Terns has dedicated years to the relentless pursuit of levels. After hundreds of hours and countless sleepless nights, he has finally reached a milestone that most players—and indeed, anyone—would be wise not to replicate. The article concluded with a gallery showcasing new content in Fortnite OG Season 6.