During its run, Fortnite has vaulted a number of weapons (which means they are no longer loot items in the battle royale mode). As of early January 2019, there have been several items, weapons, and traps join those ranks, with 2019 seemingly on a cleaning spree. The latest 4 weapons to be vaulted may also be somewhat confusing to some, as they are more garden variety than most that typically end up vaulted.

First up is the heavy shotgun, which isn't all that surprising when considering most players would opt for a pump shotgun of similar rarity. Still, for those Fortnite players who haven't mastered the pump, it was a solid alternative. Another alternative being vaulted is the Burst Rifle. Once again, while most players would take an automatic rifle over the Burst, some preferred the Burst Rifle's controlled shots, especially in mid-to-long range encounters.

The next two items may be the most surprising. The Bolt Action Sniper Rifle is also now vaulted alongside the aforementioned weapons, and though its popularity pales in comparison to the Heavy Sniper Rifle and perhaps the newer Suppressed Sniper Rifle, it being vaulted over the Hunting Rifle may very well surprise some. This creative decision now means that there are only three sniper rifles available in the battle royale mode of Fortnite. 

fortnite epic games sniper

Last, but certainly not least, the SMG (Common, Uncommon, and Rare) has been vaulted. To replace these, however, Fortnite is unvaulting the Suppressed SMG of the same rarities. This move toward suppressed weaponry has been a consistently unfurling change for the battle royale title, but it seems strange to simply not have both like with the sniper and assault rifles.

Notably, these four weapons follow three other shocking items recently added to the vault, namely the Grappler, Quad Launcher, and the Port-a-Fortress. Needless to say, Fortnite's meta is constantly changing, and hopefully, these changes are leading to something big for this battle royale title in 2019. Until then, however, many of these items are likely to be missed.

Fortnite is out now in early access for Android, iOS, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.

Source: Epic Games v7.30 patch notes