Gnome Guns? Troll Launchers? Yes, those really are Fortnite weapons. We’re taking a look back at the best leaked and unreleased weapons that never made it into the game.
Epic Games’ popular battle royale has introduced countless weapons since it first launched in 2017, and everyone has their favorite, from the Pump Shotgun to the Heavy Assault Rifle and even a Star Wars Lightsaber.
But there are also plenty of intriguing weapons that never see the light of day. We only know about them because of leakers, and while some of them show up on The Island eventually, others are sadly sent to the metaphorical scrap heap.
We’ve scoured the internet for some of the best unreleased weapons that never ended up in Fortnite. Some of them are strong, others are downright ridiculous. Hopefully one day Epic decides to finally add them all to the game.
Mini-Gun Grenade Launcher
This one doesn’t appear to have an official name, but it’s been referred to as both ‘Tinstack’ and ‘Mini-Gun Grenade Launcher’ by leakers, the latter because it’s essentially a combination of the Mini-Gun and the Grenade Launcher.
Those are two of the most powerful weapons we’ve seen in Fortnite so far, so a combination of the two could be absolutely devastating in battle – which might be why it hasn’t been added to the game yet.
A new Heavy Weapon is in the works.
It may be a cross between a Grenade Launcher and a Minigun. A prototype mesh is included, which appears to be a minigun without its barrel.
Really interesting weapon in the works, stay tuned. Gun stats + Mesh in pics below. pic.twitter.com/600kpmfUIh
— Mang0e (@Mang0e_) September 28, 2020
Gnome Gun
Gnomes have played a big part in Fortnite over the last few years, regularly popping up in challenges that require you to dig them up, bury them, destroy them, or even save them by disabling explosive traps that have been set to lure them in.
But some creative Fortnite devs came up with a completely different use for them, as this leaked Gnome Gun shows off. What does it do? It shoots Gnomes. Yes, that’s literally it. Not much use, then, but still looks like a lot of fun.
https://twitter.com/ximton/status/1342811689260085249
Troll Launcher
Around the same time that details of the Gnome Gun emerged, another wacky Fortnite weapon leaked online: the Troll Launcher. Honestly, who thinks of these things? They deserve a raise.
Unlike the Gnome Gun, this one looks like it actually packs a bit of a punch, as the tiny creatures explode on impact. Essentially, it’s just a Rocket Launcher, but with added Trolls – and who wouldn’t want that?
https://twitter.com/ximton/status/1342804383218724864
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Big Money Assault Rifle
Not much is known about the Big Money Assault Rifle – we haven’t even seen what it looks like – but it’s believed to have some connection to the new Gold Bars currency that was introduced in Fortnite Season 5.
One theory is that it could increase the number of Gold Bars dropped by opponents when they’re eliminated by the gun, which sounds like it could be a very good way to stock up on the in-game currency.
Flamethrower
Back in 2018, leakers found evidence that a Flamethrower weapon was going to be added into Fortnite. Unfortunately, this never happened, but we’re still keeping our fingers crossed it arrives one day.
We can see why this weapon might not fit with the overall aesthetic and gameplay of Fortnite, though, and it would likely have had a very short range which may not have been very useful in actual gameplay.
A flamethrower is most likely coming to the Battle-Royale mode!
(Credits to: @TopRankEd8 & @StormLeaks) pic.twitter.com/Z143QVq3IX
— Shiina (@ShiinaBR) September 10, 2018
Run Gun SMG
Unlike many of the other unreleased Fortnite weapons on this list, we’d expect the Run Gun SMG to actually make an appearance in the game at some point soon, as it seems to belong to Season 5’s Exotic class of weapons.
While using the weapon, the player will run faster than normal, a bit like when they eat a Chilli. Its base is the Rapid Fire SMG, which is capable of a whopping 255 damage per second, so it will no doubt be a popular weapon if the devs do decide to add it.
Here's the Run Gun exotic SMG from the previous tweet, recoded 2 clips with @ximton for y'all.. It makes you walk/run faster and its still unfinished pic.twitter.com/inINji0g8x
— HYPEX (@HYPEX) December 29, 2020
E-11 Blaster
Okay, so this weapon is technically already in the game. You just can’t use it. Why? Well, it’s the weapon that The Mandalorian Boss uses at close quarters, and while players can steal his Amban Sniper Rifle, this one has been kept exclusively for him.
It shoots red energy bolts and functions very similarly to the First Order Blaster Rifle that appeared in Chapter 2 Season 1 as part of the Star Wars crossover, meaning there’s no reason we can’t get the E-11 Blaster as a usable weapon in the game at some point.
If this list has got you hungry for more epic Fortnite weaponry, we’ve also rounded up the 7 best vaulted Fortnite weapons that need to make a return in a future season.