Ever since Fortnite introduced the weapon crafting system, players are again clamoring to use old weapons. In Chapter 2: Season 7, the crafting system expanded, allowing anyone to craft alien weapons.
Crafting alien weapons relies on one main component: alien nanites. This new crafting material can not only allow you to craft powerful weapons, but also reduce gravity mid-match. Keep reading to learn more about this unusual material.
Fortnite Alien Nanite Locations
Things rarely fall out of the sky in this battle royale except for supply drops and enemy players. The expansion of the weapon crafting system, however, changed that with the introduction of Alien Nanites.
You will need to collect alien nanites before you can craft alien weapons or use their inherent abilities. To help you out, we'll show you where to find these exotic items.
The best place to find alien nanites is in the mother ship. Chests in mothership chests can contain alien nanites, but you must complete the experiment first. If you're careful when searching for the mothership, there are other ways to get your hands on the alien nanites.
Invaded locations are hotspots for alien nanites. They can be in three of these areas of the island during a given game:
Three intruders flying in saucers will appear on the map each game. You can buy alien nanites from them.
Alternatively, alien nanites are also ground loot. Their common rarity allows them to spawn more often, but it's pure luck if you find one near your drop location.
Some report that they are more common near alien locations, such as Abductor Peak. However, any floor loot point has a possibility of spawning alien nanites, so we recommend checking all floor loot nearby.
How to Get Alien Nanites in Fortnite
One of the most reliable ways to obtain alien nanites is to board the mothership and participate in the experiment. The second is to trade with intruders. You can purchase an Alien Nanite for 150 bars.
Experience
To participate in the Experiment, players must approach a captor and let them capture them. Then you will find yourself on the mother ship, in an area made up of pieces of the island. Parts of Slurpy Swamp are currently part of the experience.
Each player has 90 seconds to use their Alien Knockgun Launcher to prevent others from getting Vault Orbs. They can also collect time orbs to increase their time by five seconds per orb. The more vault orbs they gather; the better each player's rewards.
Due to the common rarity of alien nanites, you can expect to get a few most of the time.
Buy alien nanites from intruders
Chapter 2: Season 7 saw the introduction of Trespassers. These AI units are lower rank soldiers working for "The Last Reality". Intruders can pilot saucers and patrol locations they currently control.
These invaded locations have purple names and sometimes have garbled text.
When you approach an intruder, they can assume the form of any island character, thanks to their shapeshifting powers. However, they usually don't attack if you just want to buy their wares.
You can purchase more than one Alien Nanite if you have the funds. Each costs 150 bar, which is relatively inexpensive compared to Kymera ray guns and prop-ifiers, which cost 600 bar each.
What do alien nanites do?
When you get alien nanites, they take up a spot in your inventory. Each space can contain a stack of two Nanites. If you have an Alien Nanite, there are two ways to use it: throw it like a grenade or use it as a crafting material.
The exception is when it becomes a quest requirement. One of the Chapter 2 Season 7 quests requires you to deploy an Alien Nanite for completion.
Low gravity grenade function
Equipping an Alien Nanite allows it to be thrown like a grenade. Once it lands on a surface, you will see a rectangular purple field. It is relatively large and you will feel low gravity in the area.
This low gravity field is like the one found at Holly Hatchery. It only lasts 30 seconds, so you'll have to make the most of it. During this short time, you can jump higher and land without taking fall damage.
There are two ways to use this low gravity field. You can use it as a quick escape method or reach high places without consuming materials.
Using an alien nanite as an escape route can be reminiscent of Port-a-Fort and Shockwave grenades. The former had anti-rebound pads to negate fall damage, and the latter could effectively prevent fatal falls.
When you fall from a high place, you can throw the Alien Nanite on the ground to avoid fall damage. Once you land, you can still use the low gravity field to your advantage.
If you want to get to high places without wasting valuable materials, throwing one down helps tremendously. You can jump into areas you've never been able to before, thanks to the increased jump height and no chance of a fatal fall - for 30 seconds of Nanite duration.
Craft weapons with alien nanites
Those who thought alien nanites were useless probably didn't take a look at their crafting menu. These glowing cubes are more than just grenades. They are also highly coveted crafting materials.
The rarity of your original weapon also determines the rarity of the alien weapon. For example, a Rare Assault Rifle becomes a Rare Pulse Rifle. You can only use rare, epic, or legendary weapons when crafting.
All alien weapons only require one alien nanite as a crafting material. You can, however, craft more weapons if you have extra Nanites. Using them as grenades is also an option.
Here is a list of all the weapons you can craft with Alien Nanites:
Kymera Ray Gun
The Kymera Ray Gun requires a Submachine Gun, Suppressed Submachine Gun, or Rapid Fire Submachine Gun. Uniquely, this gun has infinite ammo balanced with a cooldown. Kymera Ray Guns can be Rare, Epic, and Legendary.
pulse rifle
Pulse Rifles come from combining Assault Rifles or Heavy Assault Rifles with an Alien Nanite. It boasts excellent hip fire and increased damage when aiming down sights. These rifles also have the same three rarities as the Kymera Ray Guns.
rail gun
Any rare and superior bolt action sniper rifle you come across can be used to craft a rail gun. Rail Guns can fire through specific buildings and surfaces. It's slow but very destructive.
plasma cannon
Only Legendary Pistols or Hand Cannons are eligible crafting components for Plasma Cannons. Plasma cannons can only fire five times and cannot be reloaded, making them very difficult to use. The plasma balls it fires can also pass through buildings.
Weapons out of this world
Finding alien nanites can be a challenge as they don't spawn very often. However, if you manage to get your hands on one, crafting alien weapons can give you an edge in battle. Using them as grenades to prevent damage from falling or climbing is also useful when pinched.
What's your favorite alien weapon? Do you think alien nanites are hard to get? Let us know in the comments section below.
