Since its release, Fortnite has attracted millions of gamers around the world. In 2021 alone, Fortnite had more than 400 million registered users, some of who participated in competitive events. Both professional Fortnite players and casual players create video content featuring their gameplay. And these videos usually have eye-catching thumbnails that make you want to click to see more.

 

What makes these thumbnails so effective at drawing in views? How can you start making your own Fortnite thumbnails with Wave.video? Let’s look at some of the best thumbnails and how you can start making your own.

 

6 Best Fortnite Thumbnails

1. X2Twins

When it comes to Fortnite thumbnails, X2Twins has some of the best. They’re bright, colorful and eye-catching, which is why they help attract so many views.

 

If you analyze their thumbnail designs, you’ll notice that there are always clickbait-y elements, like:

 

• Intriguing text
• Emotional faces (surprise, anger, sadness, ready for battle)
• Bright colors

 

The combination of these elements makes people want to click on the video and watch it. Their use of big, bold text matches the Fortnite theme, but it also lets you know what the video is all about. 

 

Most of the thumbnails for Fortnite videos from X2Twins follow similar patterns. Why? Because they work. Just take a look at a few examples below:

Both of these thumbnails evoke excitement. The text “Sniper Only!” creates intrigue and makes Fortnite players want to see how this YouTuber pulled it off.

2. MrSavage 

Professional Fortnite player and YouTuber MrSavage creates emotive thumbnails that are hard to ignore. 

 

MrSavage makes full use of eye-catching elements, like arrows, question marks, big text and emotional Fortnite character renders to create attention-grabbing thumbnails.

 

Smart use of text and photo elements tells you what this video is about and compels you to click to see more.

In this second thumbnail example, no text is needed to get clicks and views. The emotive faces alone are enough to pique your curiosity and get you to click.

3. TGPlays

YouTuber TGPlays uses a variety of layouts to create thumbnails, but you’ll still notice a similar pattern. 

 

• Emotive photos or renders (e.g. shocked, scared or confused faces)
• Big, bold arrows or question marks
• Eye-catching text

 

Together, these elements draw the viewer’s eye to specific elements in the thumbnail and evoke emotion. In addition, they make you curious about the video’s content and want to learn more.

With this thumbnail, you know that the video is about Fortnite’s Victory Royale, but what does the dog have to do with it? All of the design elements are well-balanced, and the arrow and finger-pointing draw your eye to the dog. 

The surprised and shocked faces in this thumbnail are the first things to catch your eye. Next, the text, “How is he so good?!” makes you, the viewer, wonder what they’re talking about and want to see just how good this player really is. 

4. PWR

The team at PWR has also mastered the skill of creating eye-catching thumbnails that generate clicks and views. Most of their thumbnails give you just enough information to tell you what the video is about but leave enough mystery to encourage you to watch.

 

Just take a look at some of the examples below:

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, and this saying holds true with this thumbnail design. The creative use of character renderings and placement makes you feel like you’re being hunted. For example, the “1 HP” text and heart icon let you know that you only have 1HP (health point). The bold exclamation point and fear on the character’s face tell you everything you need to know about the video’s content.

With this thumbnail design, emotion comes into play once again. We see a lone character facing off against 100. Those 100 characters have determined expressions. The solo character looks pretty unsure of whether they’ll be victorious. The use of text and emotional character renderings draws the viewer in and makes them want to see whether the “lone ranger” can survive despite being outnumbered. 

5. SypherPK

YouTuber SypherPK uses simple thumbnail layouts, but that doesn’t make them any less eye-catching.

 

Most of the Fortnite thumbnails on this channel have:

 

• Simple backgrounds
• Emotive photos on one side
• A visual representation of the video’s topic on the other side

 

These elements evoke emotion while giving you information about the video’s content. Together, they make you want to click and see more.

In this thumbnail design, you have the YouTuber’s surprised face on one side and the topic of the video on the opposite side, which is a new item in Fortnite. It’s a basic thumbnail layout, but that doesn’t make it any less effective at drawing in views. Viewers want to know what this new item is and why the YouTuber is so shocked about it.

This video’s thumbnail design follows the same layout as the previous example from this channel. You have the YouTuber’s emotive face on one side and the video’s topic on the other. We know the video is about the Fortnitemares seasonal event, and the YouTuber looks pretty excited about it. Naturally, you want to see what all of the excitement is about, so you click to see more.

 

What do all of these Fortnite thumbnails have in common? They make you want to click on the video to see more. That’s the ultimate goal when creating any YouTube thumbnail: to generate more views. When a catchy video title is combined with an eye-catching thumbnail, it makes people want to click and watch.

 

While we’ve given examples from YouTube in this guide, you can use these same formats and design concepts when creating thumbnails for Twitch and other platforms.

4 Tips for Creating Eye-Catching Thumbnails

Before diving into the creative process and making your own thumbnails, consider the tips below.

 

1. Play on the viewer’s emotion. Whether you’re using character renders or your own photos, be expressive. Shock, anger, confusion and sadness can pull viewers in and make them want to learn more.
2. Combine text and visual elements. Compelling text and intriguing photos or graphics will generate more clicks.
3. Don’t be misleading. Yes, the goal is to get more clicks and views, but make sure that you’re not misleading your viewers. For example, avoid using imagery that is excessive, over-the-top or inappropriate for your audience.
4. Experiment with different designs to see which ones are most effective at drawing in clicks and views.

How to Create Fortnite Thumbnails with Wave.video

All of these thumbnail examples follow similar layouts and design principles. With Wave.video, you can create these types of thumbnails for your own Fortnite videos in just a few simple steps.

 

Let’s get started! 

1. Sign Up for Wave.video

First, sign up for Wave.video for free (if you haven’t already). You can sign up with Google, Facebook, Twitter, Apple or your email address.

2. Create a New Project

Now that you have an account, you can hover the “Create” button and select “Image.” You’ll have four options to choose from. 

 

Select the 16:9 aspect ratio or Horizontal option. It’s the perfect size for your Fortnite thumbnail for YouTube, Twitch, Facebook and Twitter.

3. Upload Your Image

Now we get to the fun part – designing your thumbnail. Start by uploading your Fortnite image by:

 

• Clicking the “Stocks & Uploads” button on the left side of the page. 
• Here, you’ll see the library of images available from Wave.video. Above the search bar, look for the “Uploads” tab. Click it.
• Next, upload Fortnite thumbnail background and any other elements you want to add to your thumbnail.

 

If you want, you can create a folder to keep your images organized, but it’s not absolutely necessary.

4. Customize Your Image

Once your image is uploaded, you can start making customizations. In the Wave.video editor, you can experiment with different:

 

• Layouts
• Background colors
• Text boxes
• Stickers
• Other visual elements

 

Explore our Thumbnails templates, where you’ll find the most popular formats for thumbnails. These layouts are easy to customize with your own Fortnite images and text. Of course, you can also build your own thumbnail from scratch for a 100% unique design.

5. Publish and Download

Once you have a thumbnail design that you’re happy with:

 

• Click the “Publish” button.
• Hit “Download Image.”

 

Now, choose your desired:

 

• Image format
• Resolution
• Transparency
• Quality

 

For custom thumbnails, YouTube recommends using images that:

 

• Have a resolution of 1280×720 (640 pixels is the minimum width)
• Are in JPG, PNG or GIF format
• Use the 16:9 aspect ratio
• Are under 2MB

6. Generate Your Thumbnail

After you’ve chosen your image format, size and quality, you can click the “Generate” button and wait for your image to be rendered. 

 

Next, click “Download,” and that’s it! You’re ready to start using your new thumbnail for your video content.

Conclusion

Creating Fortnite thumbnails is easier than you think, thanks to Wave.video’s simple web-based editor. Study the examples above and use them as inspiration to create your own eye-catching thumbnails for your gaming content.