Even the best games have bad ideas from time to time; these are the worst weapons in Fortnite history.
Fortnite is one of the most popular games in the world, and it owes its success in part to the wide range of weapons and items available to players. With new weapons being added to the game each exciting season, there is always something new for players to experiment with. Unfortunately, however, not all these weapons have been well received by the player base.
In this article, we will take a look at some of the worst weapons ever released in Fortnite. These weapons range from sniper rifles that hit like a wet noodle to busted weapons that broke the game, and they have all been criticized by players for their justified reasons. Some of these weapons were only in the game for a limited time, while others were removed after several seasons of lackluster performance.
Whether you are a seasoned Fortnite player or a newcomer to the game, this article will provide an interesting look into the weapons that have failed to make a lasting impact on the game’s meta.
Semi-Auto Sniper
The Semi-Auto Sniper was introduced in the first season of Fortnite and was vaulted in Season Six. Then, it was again unvaulted in Season Nine and before finally being locked away again in Season X. The Semi-Auto Rifle was intended to be a forgiving version of the regular sniper rifle, offering a faster fire rate for lower damage.
Ironically, the Semi-Auto Sniper is harder to use because you must hit multiple headshots to achieve the same effect as the regular sniper rifle. If you manage to hit the first shot, Fortnite players tend to build fortresses on instinct, so it was extremely difficult to hit another against competent players. Overall, the Semi-Auto Sniper was an underwhelming gun that didn’t fit the meta.
Two-Shot Shotgun
Despite the open map and mid-range gunfights, shotguns have always found a solid place in Fortnite’s meta. Players were spoiled with shotguns like the double pump meta and the oppressive spray-and-pray Drum Shotgun, so there’s always a high point of comparison. Epic Games tried a different approach with the bursty Two-Shot Shotgun, but ended up with a dud that fails even to be mentioned along the greats.
The Two-Shot Shotgun fired two bursts that were inconsistent and inaccurate to hit. And when you factor in the long reload times, it’s lethal to miss the opening shots. The shotgun couldn’t keep up with the meta even after multiple buffs, and it was finally vaulted one season after it was introduced.
Guided Missile
The Guided Missile was a controversial weapon that allowed players to control a missile remotely. It was added to the game during Season 3, but its overpowered nature quickly made it a source of frustration for many players. The missile could be guided around obstacles and buildings, making it difficult to avoid, and its explosive power could destroy entire structures with ease. Moreover, the Guided Missile was present when the average player couldn’t build quickly.
Additionally, the Guided Missile was littered with bugs. It was a common occurrence that the gun would be disabled because of it. Finally, Epic Games had enough and removed the weapon in Season Seven.
Recycler
The Recycler was introduced during Season 6 and was intended to be a versatile weapon that could be used to suck up materials and then shoot them back out as projectiles. It even came with a unique Mythic version called Spire Assassin’s Recycler. By design, the Recycler is a fun explosive weapon that interacts with Fortnite’s signature structures and materials.
What makes the Recycler one of the worst weapons in Fortnite is how risky yet unrewarding it was to use. It had a slow time collecting materials and only produced three shots of heavy, inaccurate projectiles. Nevertheless, the Recycler was a fun concept and could have used more fine-tuning to create a handy utility weapon. Unfortunately, the weapon was vaulted the very next season it was put in the game.
Charge SMG
Added during Season Three, the Charge SMG has so much raw burst power in ideal conditions, capable of dealing the highest DPS in the game. But that will rarely happen because its charge mechanic is cumbersome and clunky to use, not to mention that the charge audio cue is quite loud, so it’s difficult to sneak up on a player.
Furthermore, you’ll have to be near your target since it had an effective range of approximately 20 meters. The Charge SMG was bad in a straight up gunfight, and challenging to ambush a player, making it one of the worst weapons Fortnite has ever released.
