The latest major update to Fortnite has added several items and characters from the renowned Metal Gear Solid game series, including the infamous Cardboard Box. Anyone who has ever played a Metal Gear Solid game already knows the purpose of that box, namely, to hide in it from enemies. In Fortnite, the box is introduced as a Mythic item, and it serves pretty much the same purpose, but since this is a multiplayer game, using it somewhat differs from how it’s used in MGS.

Hiding in a Cardboard Box in Fortnite

Whereas in the Metal Gear Solid games, the Cardboard Box effectively hides you from enemies, letting you get the jump on them, in Fortnite, no player would actually fall for it. Therefore, you can say that this is more of a meme item that’s been put into the game as a cool reference, rather than as a valid way of outplaying your opponents. That being said, there could potentially be some clever situational uses for the Cardboard Box in Fortnite precisely because no one expects the item to be used seriously.

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Hiding in a Cardboard Box in Fortnite
Hiding in the Cardboard Box after buying it from the Solid Snake NPC.

Where to find a Cardboard Box in Fortnite?

First, we should quickly go over the places where you can find the Cardboard Box in Fortnite. The quickest way to get the Cardboard Box at the start of the game is to land on the small island in the Northern-most part of the map. The Solid Snake NPC is on that island, and he should be pretty easy to find. From him, you can buy the Cardboard Box for 100 gold bars. You can also buy the EMP Stealth Camo and hire Solid Snake to aid you in the fight against other players.

Where to find a Cardboard Box in Fortnite?
The location of the Solid Snake NPC from whom you can purchase the Cardboard Box.

Note, however, that it’s likely that many other players would be landing in that location with the same goal of getting either the EMP or the Cardboard Box, so be prepared for some early-game skirmishes. There’s a Solid Snake quest that requires you to spend 10 seconds hidden in a Cardboard Box, so many players would be looking for this item in order to complete the quest.

The other way to get the Cardboard Box in Fortnite is to find it as ground loot or by opening chests. Despite being a Mythic item, it’s actually not as rare as other Mythic items, so finding it as loot, especially in point of interest areas, shouldn’t be too difficult.

What does the Cardboard Box do in Fortnite (and how to use it)?

Now that we’ve explained where and how to get the Cardboard Box, let’s talk about some possible uses that could, in fact, help you score some kills. Obviously, simply hiding in the box and hoping that anyone who walks past it won’t shoot it is a bad idea.

The trick with the Cardboard Box is to have several in your inventory and place them in strategic locations when there’s no one around. Then hide in one of them and wait for players to come nearby. They may or may not start shooting the boxes, but the chances of starting with the one you are in aren’t high, so this gives you the opportunity to get the jump on them. Besides, you can move and shoot from within the box, so you won’t even need to waste time getting out of it.

What does the Cardboard Box do in Fortnite?
Hiding in plain sight.

A good place to set up this trap is near points of interest that are right on the edge of the next zone. That way, you can be pretty certain that players will eventually be forced by the storm to come close to you, at which point you’ll have the advantage and score a couple of kills. On the other hand, if you place the boxes in some random location, you could waste a lot of time, waiting for someone to pass by.

Another Cardboard Box strategy that can be combined with the previous one is to place a box (or several boxes) at a point of interest location as a bait, without you hiding in it. Instead, find a different hiding spot with good visibility that’s close enough for your preferred weapon to be effective, and camp there. Eventually, someone should come your way, try to shoot the box for an easy kill, giving you enough time to take them out yourself.