FNCS Solos Reload 2026: how the road to the 21-22 November finals works
Fortnite's FNCS Solos Reload is under way, with qualifiers from 3 to 8 November and regional finals on 21 and 22 November. Here is how players qualify, how the scoring works and what comes next.
The FNCS Solos Reload is under way in Fortnite. Qualifying started on 3 November, today's Round 3 (8 November) cuts every region down to 80 players, and the regional finals will be played on 21 and 22 November.
It is a separate solo event in the Reload mode, listed in the game as "Reload - Solo", and it comes after the main FNCS 2026 season. That season was played in Duos, had a total prize pool of more than US$10 million and ended with the Global Championship in Belgium in late September.
Who can take part
Entry depends on Epic's global Power Ranking. Players in the top 200,000 could enter Round 1, while the top 1,000 could skip it and start in Round 2. The skip was optional, but any top-1,000 player who played Round 1 anyway gave up their automatic place. Region-lock rules apply throughout.
The qualifying funnel
The field shrinks quickly over two and a half weeks, from the open qualifier to the regional final:
- Round 1 (3-4 November): open to the top 200,000 in Power Ranking; Europe had the most places, at 4,000
- Round 2 (7 November): the top 500 in each region advance
- Round 3 (8 November): the top 80 in each region reach the Heats
- Heats (14-15 November): two heats of 40 players
- Last Chance Qualifier (16-17 November): one more chance for players who just missed out
- Regional finals (21-22 November): 40 players per region
In Europe, Rounds 2 and 3 start at 18:00 UTC, which is 18:00 in the UK. Session times for other regions are shown in the game's Compete tab.
Heats: win a match and you are through
The Heats are where this format stands out. Each heat has up to eight matches, and any player who wins a match goes straight to the regional final. A win is worth 1,000 points, and each elimination scores five points.
After the match winners, the seven best non-winners on points also go through. That gives 15 finalists per heat and 30 across the two heats. The next ten players in each heat, those finishing 16th to 25th, are not out: they move into the final stage of the Last Chance Qualifier.
The Last Chance Qualifier
The LCQ starts on 16 November with a first round. It is open to players who played a Round 1 qualifier session and have not already earned a place in the LCQ final or the regional final. The top 20 from that round join the 20 players coming down from the Heats, making a single 40-player lobby on 17 November. Over up to five matches, each match winner qualifies and the top five non-winners on points take the remaining places, adding ten players to the finals.
How the regional finals are decided
Each regional final has 40 players: 30 from the Heats and ten from the LCQ. They play up to ten matches, and the title goes to the player at the top of the points table, not to the first player to win a match. A Victory Royale is worth 60 placement points, second place is worth 54, and every elimination adds five points. The ten-elimination cap used in the qualifying rounds and the first LCQ round does not apply in the final.
| Date | Stage | Who advances |
|---|---|---|
| 3-4 November | Round 1 | Regional quotas (4,000 places in Europe) |
| 7 November | Round 2 | Top 500 per region |
| 8 November | Round 3 | Top 80 per region to the Heats |
| 14-15 November | Heats (2 x 40 players) | 15 per heat to the finals; 16th-25th to the LCQ final |
| 16-17 November | Last Chance Qualifier | 10 places in the regional final |
| 21-22 November | Regional finals | 40 players, up to 10 matches |
Frequently asked questions
Who can play in FNCS Solos Reload?
Round 1 was open to players in the top 200,000 of Epic's global Power Ranking. Players in the top 1,000 could skip Round 1 and start in Round 2, but lost that automatic place if they played Round 1.
How do the Heats work?
Each heat of 40 players has up to eight matches, and every match winner qualifies straight away. The seven best non-winners on points also advance, and the players finishing 16th to 25th move into the Last Chance Qualifier final.
How is the regional champion decided?
The finals use a points table over up to ten matches. A win gives 60 placement points, second place 54, and each elimination five, with no elimination cap.
When are the finals?
Oceania, the Middle East and NA Central are scheduled for 21 November, and Asia, Brazil, NA West and Europe for 22 November. Some listings have shown different days for certain regions, so check the in-game event card.