Fortnite’s fourth season of Chapter 3 has had a rocky start so far. A massive bug took down all Fortnite servers at the end of Season 3 and ended the season almost 12 hours earlier than initially planned. While the new "Paradise" season has been bug-free, the new Fortnite Battle Pass left fans wanting more. Now, the game’s current selection of shotguns has drawn the ire of fans.
By going free-to-play early on, Fortnite earned itself and sprawling and loyal fan base. As time has gone on and more competitors have followed Epic Games’ model, Fortnite’s appeal has started to lose its luster. Shotguns are just the latest example of Fortnite player complaints that Epic has battled as it fights to retain its players. If the hit Battle Royale title wants to remain at the top of the charts, it will need to start taking fan feedback into account, and this season's poor shotgun selection is a good place to start.
Current Shotguns in Fortnite
Fortnite has four shotguns currently in the rotation for players, each of which has its own drawbacks. The option fans are most familiar with is the Lever Action Shotgun, which packs a powerful punch, but has a fire rate of just .95 and a reload time of 6.6 seconds, plenty of time for any foe to gain a powerful advantage.
The Ranger Shotgun, on the other hand, deals a high level of damage and fires at a quick rate. However, this weapon requires pinpoint accuracy against any enemy in close quarters. As players can gather from the name, the Ranger Shotgun is best used against enemies at a medium distance, rather than in close combat like most shotguns.
One other option is the Prime Shotgun, a semi-automatic weapon best used up close. The fire rate and reload time are marginally better than the Lever Action, but the damage it can deal is much more limited. Players choosing between the Prime and Lever Action shotguns have to decide between speed and damage.
The newest and final option is the Evochrome Shotgun. Introduced along with Fortnite’s new Chrome threat, the Evochrome has low damage and fire rates at Uncommon and Rare levels but can be powerful at higher rarities. Unlike other weapons that can only be improved at Upgrade Benches, Evochrome weapons can be upgraded once players have dealt a certain amount of damage with them. While this is a fun new feature, players wanting the best shotgun in the game will have to grind out several kills or hunt wildlife until the Evochrome Shotgun has reached Legendary or Mythic rarity.
Epic Needs to Embrace Preferred Play Styles
Despite Epic Games’ best efforts, Fortnite fans' favorite weapons will always be the earlier options. These weapons have been around the longest for a reason. Additionally, their duration in the game means players have put the most time into these guns and have mastered their use.
In Epic’s attempt to push the franchise forward, it’s left the best weapons behind. Recent seasons and updates have seen a plethora of new shotguns introduced, but they each pale in comparison to the originals. The initial Pump Shotgun has been lauded as a fan-favorite due to its high damage and relatively good fire rate. Fortnite has tried to recreate that effect with the Lever Action Shotgun, but its fire rate is painfully slow, and there’s no hope if players need to reload in the middle of a battle.
Part of what keeps fans returning to Fortnite is the constant updates to the weapons, map, and in-game store. However, it seems that Epic has ignored gamers' preferred play style in favor of change for change’s sake. With shotguns that are either slow or weak, many players have had to completely change their game style. Relying on SMGs or avoiding close combat altogether. In an increasingly competitive free-to-play market, Fortnite needs to be sure that it isn’t losing its most loyal fans. Bringing back older shotguns would be a step in the right direction.
Fortnite is available now on mobile, PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.