Fortnite is arguably the most popular battle royale title in gaming history, a cultural phenomenon that nobody could have foreseen becoming the powerhouse that it is now.
Epic have done so much right in their development and continued support of Fortnite, creating a game that was enjoyed on a near-universal basis, no matter the demographic. However, that doesn’t mean they have made the perfect game – there have been several additions and features that have been polarizing among the community, such as X-4 Stormwing planes, the B.R.U.T.E. Mech suits and the Infinity Blade.
Of course, weapons are a major part of any battle royale title, but that doesn’t mean that every gun in the game should be in it, or that they are powerful enough to make a difference when in the heat of battle – searching for that Victory Royale.
So, let’s take a look at some of the weapons that need to be removed from Fortnite for Chapter 2 when Season 2 is launched.
Common/Uncommon Burst Assault Rifle
While the Burst Assault Rifle was pretty strong when it first returned to Fortnite, it has slowly tapered off and become somewhat of a nuisance to find and use.
The bloom has made it extremely difficult to aim, especially in comparison with the standard Assault Rifle, essentially nullifying the point of carrying a common or uncommon Burst AR. It makes no sense to have the weapon in the game still, especially since it is nowhere near as good as the weapons at a similar level in its class.
Rocket Launcher
It is pretty surprising that there isn’t more uproar about the use of Rocket Launchers in Fortnite. It’s hard to argue that they’re a fair addition to the game, and it’s often supremely difficult to counter them in any way.
The game would be far more enjoyable if you didn’t have to accept that you’re probably going to die when an enemy pulls out a launcher, and probably balances Fortnite a little more, but are Fortnite players really looking for balance?
Legendary Pistol
If you don’t use the Legendary Pistol, you’re missing out big-time. This weapon has no bloom and shoots like a laser, as well as dealing some serious damage if you have a half-decent trigger-finger.
Although later in the game you might want to swap it out for an SMG to take down enemy builds, the Legendary Pistol is absurd and needs to be fixed – if not removed entirely.
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Bandage Bazooka
Not sure if a two-slot weapon or item is necessarily a bad thing, although in most cases the Bandage Bazooka simply isn’t worth carrying. It’s more an item that you grab to quickly heal and then drop it again – so what makes it worth two slots?
There is surely never a point where you would choose to carry this over a Med Kit, or maybe even bandages since they only take up one slot, essentially rendering the Bandage Bazooka useless.
Harpoon Gun
The Harpoon Gun is an extremely useful weapon to have as it is so multi-functional. As well as going fishing with it and picking up some great loot and heals, the Harpoon Gun also does 75 damage to opponents as well as making it easier to take enemy walls.
The issue with the Harpoon gun is this versatility. It is essentially a shotgun that can break builds and improve your inventory as you go, rolling several weapons into one. If it were just a fishing tool, or just a weapon, it would probably be alright, but in its current state it has to go.
Pump Shotgun
Perhaps a divisive decision, but the Pump Shotgun has been a nightmare to use in Chapter 2 so far. Issues with ghost shots have persisted for as long as we’ve had the Pump, and it simply can’t compete with the Tactical Shotgun unless you hit a perfect shot on your enemy – which isn’t all that easy to do.
A fire rate increase could make the Pump Shotgun more viable, but right now there’s no valid reason for someone to pick up a Pump over a Tactical version in most scenarios.
While a lot of these weapons could maybe be fixed with a small buff or nerf here and there, that doesn’t seem to be happening. It might be best to vault these weapons in favor of bringing back other items that may be better and preferred by players.
With Season 2 of Chapter 2 growing ever closer, players should expect to see some big changes, including the addition and exclusion of weapons, come to Fortnite when the new season starts.