The Runners update in Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 3 introduced a vault system that lives and dies by chest RNG, but one location completely sidesteps that lottery. Cluster Coast hides a secret underground bunker that any player can access without a single key or keycard, and the solution involves a rubber duck.
Why this vault is worth your time
Most vaults in Chapter 7 Season 3 demand either a Rare Vault Key or an Epic Vault Keycard to open. Both drop from chests at random, with the Epic variant being genuinely painful to track down. You can spend an entire match routing through Rare Chest clusters and still walk away empty-handed.
The Cluster Coast hidden vault skips all of that. No key required, no keycard required, just an environmental puzzle that rewards players who know it exists. The loot inside gives you a real shot at high-rarity companions and weapons, which makes this one of the better risk-to-reward stops on the map right now.
The rubber duck puzzle, step by step
When you land at Cluster Coast, ignore the buildings initially. Head straight for the small outdoor pools scattered around the point of interest. You're looking for a rubber duck wearing sunglasses floating in the water.
Pick up the duck and carry it into the main building directly adjacent to the pool area. Inside, find the large Cluster poster mounted on the wall. There's a door just to its left.
Go through that door and locate the empty display case. Place the rubber duck inside it. That single interaction triggers a hidden mechanism that lowers the entire floor platform like an elevator, taking you straight down into the secret bunker below.
What's waiting in the bunker
Once the platform drops, you're inside a loot room with a solid chance of pulling high-rarity Sprite companions and weapons. This makes Cluster Coast a legitimate alternative to the two Sprite Vaults at Frosted Flats and Sinister Strip, both of which require an Epic Vault Keycard to access through normal means.
The key difference is consistency. Sprite Vaults offer multiple Sprite Chests with a high probability of legendary companion drops, so they still have an edge in raw loot ceiling. But when the Epic Keycard just isn't dropping for you, the Cluster Coast bunker gives you a guaranteed floor without the RNG tax.
Here's the thing: other players who know this trick will also be landing at Cluster Coast with the same plan. The duck is a public secret at this point, so expect competition at this POI, especially in the early game.
How the broader vault system fits together
Chapter 7 Season 3 runs 8 vaults total across the island. Six of them open with a Rare Vault Key and contain a single Rare Chest, some Slurp barrels, and a Sprite Chest. The two Sprite Vaults need an Epic Vault Keycard and pay out significantly better, with multiple Sprite Chests and a high chance of legendary companions.
Keys no longer have fixed spawn locations. Both tiers drop from chests as random loot, with the occasional rare floor spawn. When you pick up a Rare Vault Key, the game briefly pings the nearest small vault on your map, which helps, but that vault might be across the map from your current position.
For a full breakdown of all 8 vault locations and key requirements, the Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 3 vault locations guide has everything mapped out. And if you want to see what else Chapter 7 has buried across the map, the Fortnite Chapter 7 hidden secrets guide covers the full list of Easter eggs and mystery locations worth tracking down this season.
