Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 4 launched with a bang last week, introducing the start of the Nexus War. Joined by famous Marvel superheroes, players will be fighting to stop Galactus from destroying all of reality. It's not the first time the Fortnite universe has been threatened, however, and players know how to fight back.
It goes without saying that fighting a cosmic super-being requires a significant amount of firepower. Fortunately, Epic have opened the Vault once more to let some old favorites out onto the Battle Island and to put some others to rest. With an entirely new weapon on offer and several classics out of the Vault, here's our updated tier list of all the weapons in Fortnite.
S-Tier
Rocket Launcher - Once again, the Rocket Launcher keeps its position in the S-Tier with its combination of long-range and massive damage. Nothing beats a Rocket Launcher for digging an enemy out of their fort, and its relatively slow travel speed means that a quick player can pull out a surprise secondary weapon to follow up the blast. It's been two Seasons now since the Uncommon and Rare Rocket Launchers were Vaulted, but the Epic and Legendary variants remain some of the most powerful weapons in the entire game.
Assault Rifle (SCAR) - Another top-tier weapon that holds its throne in Season 4 is the Epic and Legendary "SCAR" variant of the Assault Rifle. With the second-highest DPS in the entire game and pin-point accuracy at medium range, the SCAR is probably the most reliably deadly weapon in Fortnite. These well-balanced stats have kept the SCAR popular with old and new players alike throughout the entirety of Fortnite's history.
Bolt-Action Sniper Rifle - The Bolt-Action Sniper, or AWP, remains the premium choice for long-range damage dealing in Fortnite Season 4. Each bullet fired from the Legendary variant deals a whopping 116 base damage, with hardly any fall-off. Players who learn to master the parabolic arc of its bullets will find themselves able to take out the competition at almost any range. With the Vaulting of all other sniper rifles, it now has even less competition. That said, its massive damage and incredible range meant that it never had much competition in the first place.
Doctor Doom's Mystical Bomb - The first of two Marvel-themed Mythic weapons to arrive in Fortnite, Doctor Doom's Mystical Bomb can only be looted from the corpse of Victor Von Doom himself. Once in a player's hands, the Mystical Bomb is an incredibly powerful blast weapon, capable of tearing through almost any fortification. This power is tempered by a 20 second cool-down and a relatively short range, but the Mystical Bomb remains one of the most effective Mythic weapons so far.
A-Tier
Burst Assault Rifle (AUG) - The two variants of Fortnite's Burst Assault Rifle saw some huge changes last season, which helped to define their role in the Battle Royale. Those changes persist into Season 4, and the Epic and Legendary "AUG" variant of the gun remains an excellent choice. Firing precision, two-round bursts, the AUG can quickly take down enemies at medium to long range. Allowing the weapon to fully scope-in before taking a shot lends the AUG incredible accuracy, allowing it to act as a pseudo-sniper.
Pump Shotgun - The Pump Shotgun makes its triumphant return in Season 4, pushing out its old rival the Tactical Shogun. There's a new kid on the block to deal with, however, but fortunately the reliable close-range damage of the Pump Shotgun keeps it one step above the tricky Charge Shotgun. While it's low rate of fire and small magazine make it unsuitable for longer engagements, most engagements are short when someone can unload 110 damage in a single shot.
Light Machine Gun - The LMG is back in Fortnite Season 4, or the Rare and Epic versions are at least. Once again, the LMG dominates at close-range with its massive magazine capacity and high fire rate. At longer ranges we recommend players fire in short bursts, as the rising inaccuracy of sustained fire will only result in a lot of wasted ammo.
Stark Industries Energy Rifle - The Stark Industries Energy Rifle is a brand new weapon in Season 4 and can be looted from Stark Robots. It comes in Rare, Epic, and Legendary versions, and fills a similar role to the Assault Rifle. What makes the Energy Rifle special, however, is its two firing-modes. When aimed, the rifle gains bonuses to damage and accuracy at the cost of fire-rate, and when shot from the hip, it gains double the fire-rate. This makes it a highly versatile weapon, effective in all kinds of situations.
Doctor Doom's Arcane Gauntlets - While it's not as flashy as the Mystical Bomb, the second Marvel-themed Mythic weapon in Season 4 is still very effective. Once again, Doctor Doom's Arcane Gauntlet's can only be looted from Doom himself, but they're worth fighting for. The Gauntlets fire fast-moving energy beams at a decent rate, with no cooldown and infinite ammo. The beams do a sizeable chunk of damage with a small splash, and are an effective weapon at medium to close range.
B-Tier
Combat Shotgun - Newly Unvaulted in Season 4, the Combat Shotgun has been hit with some hefty nerfs since its last appearance. Although the close-range killer has lost damage, fire rate, and magazine size, it remains a safe choice for point-blank confrontations. After all, it does still have double the fire rate of its Pump Action counterpart, as well as almost twice the magazine capacity.
Tactical Submachine Gun - Another gun to return from the Vault in Season 4, the Tactical Submachine Gun is also not quite what it was. With a fairly hefty fire-rate and magazine size reduction, the Tac-SMG isn't the spray-and-pray demon it used to be, but a reduced reload speed has helped to counter the nerfs. It also has a brand new sound, presumably to fit its lower rate of fire. The Tactical Submachine Gun still fills a useful niche and is the certainly the stronger of the two SMGs in Season 4.
Assault Rifle (M16) - The lower tier variant of the Assault Rifle, the M16 comes in Common, Uncommon, and Rare. If the pistol didn't exist, it would probably be the most boring weapon in Fortnite Season 4. While it doesn't have the impressive punch of its bigger brother, it does remain a safe, reliable pick in the early game.
Burst Assault Rifle (FAMAS) - The longer reload on the FAMAS variant of the Burst Assault Rifle is a real problem, often forcing players to switch rather than reload. Nevertheless, its mixture of decent damage and accuracy make it not a terrible choice in the early game. Players looking to maintain their competitive edge should focus on either swapping it out or upgrading it as soon as they possibly can.
Charge Shotgun - When the Charge Shotgun arrived at the beginning of Season 3, it was one of the most divisive weapons ever added to Fortnite. It was both fiddly to use and devastating in the hands of those who'd mastered it, leading to calls for buffs and nerfs alike in its first few weeks. One Season on, the Charge Shotgun has settled into its groove as a powerful but challenging close-range killer.
Scoped Assault Rifle - The newly-Unvaulted Scoped Assault Rifle fills much the same role as the departing Hunting Rifle, being a bridge between the Assault and Sniper rifle-classes. Like the Hunting Rifle, it trades in the raw DPS of an Assault Rifle for a longer range, making a decent, all-round package that doesn't shine in any particular situation. It does tend to suffer in close-range, however, lacking the hip-fire, spray-and-pray capabilities of its Assault Rifle siblings.
C-Tier
Pistol - The Pistol has rarely been a good choice in Fortnite, with its lack of damage and accuracy making it hard to recommend. To add insult to injury, its Epic and Legendary versions have now been Vaulted, leaving only the dregs of the dregs behind. If it was harder to find better weapons in the early game, the pistol might have something going for it, but alas, it isn't.
Suppressed SMG - The Suppressed SMG was an odd choice to remain Unvaulted at the start of Season 3, doubly so that it's escaped the Vault again in Season 4. As an SMG, it does a decent amount of close-range damage, but its special feature is all but wasted. While a suppressor does give a stealth advantage, that advantage is entirely negated by the tiny effective range of this fast-firing SMG.
Revolver - The Revolver is back in Season 4, replacing the Epic and Legendary versions of the Pistol with its own counterparts. While it does do significantly more damage than its fellow one-hander, its terrible rate of fire and low accuracy make it very difficult to recommend.
Fortnite's Season 4 is only just beginning, and there's bound to be more superhero surprises as it progresses. Already players have discovered the names of several other Mythic weapons in the game's files, including Groot's Bramble Shield and Silver Surfer's Surfboard. Whether the players and heroes can defeat Galactus, or whether he'll destroy the Battle Island and usher in Fortnite Chapter 3, fans will just have to wait and see.
Fortnite is available now on PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One, and mobile devices.