Only five days have passed since Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 1’s release, following a lengthy stay in Chapter 2. Epic Games utilized this game-changing opportunity to flip the island and create all-new locations and weapons. The new selection of weapons includes Shotguns, Submachine Guns and Assault Rifles.
Players wasted no time testing this new loot pool to decipher which weapons were worth carrying and those that came up short. The MK-Seven Assault Rifle sat comfortably above the totem pole, as did the Stinger SMG. All other weapons, mainly the Shotguns, needed somewhat of a boost.
Today, Epic Games has heard the concerns and announced multiple changes. Let’s see what’s new with Chapter 3 Season 1’s weapons stats and how this will affect the landscape.
Striker & Auto Shotguns Buffed
☑️ Decreased the environmental damage of the MK-Seven Assault Rifle and made it less accurate while hipfiring.
☑️ Slightly increased the damage rate and moderately increased the accuracy of the Ranger Assault Rifle.
☑️ Increased the heal speed of Guzzle Juice.
(2/2)– Fortnite Status (@FortniteStatus) December 10, 2023
The Auto Shotgun and Striker Pump Shotgun received much-needed adjustments. While viable, neither stood out as an absolute must-have weapons in Season 1. Epic increased the fire rate and accuracy of the Striker version. One of its most significant detractors lied within its slow fire rate, so this change should make a difference. An accuracy boost is merely icing on the cake.
Epic’s solution to the Auto Shotgun was to decrease its pull-out time. Anyone who used this weapon before these changes understands how unreliable it was when swapping weapons. Hopefully, the pull-out time makes for a better experience.
MK-Seven Assault Rifle Nerfed, Ranger Buffed
Fortnite’s newly introduced MK-Seven Assault Rifle quickly shot to the top of the weapon tier list in Chapter 3. The rifle now deals less damage to environmental structures and is less accurate while firing from the hip. While the MK-Seven remains effective from a distance, it is not as powerful from close range.
The Ranger Assault Rifle netted out positively in the recent shuffle. This single-shot weapon received a damage and accuracy increase — a necessary change for its viability. It doesn’t compare to the MK-Seven, but the Ranger variation is no longer a throwaway.
No Stinger SMG
An interesting takeaway from this wave of adjustments is that the Stinger SMG went untouched. The community has almost unanimously agreed this weapon is on another level of power compared to its counterparts. Players of late have passed on a Shotgun to carry two SMGs instead. The Shotgun buffs will change that, but the Stinger remains in a different tier.
Overall, Epic addressed some obvious issues with the Chapter 3 Season 1 loot pool. However, from a competitive standpoint, not much has changed. Professional players will still carry a Stinger SMG and MK-Seven Assault Rifle. This season’s meta will adjust accordingly following the Shotgun and Ranger Assault Rifle buffs.
We’ll be sure to communicate and analyze any additional weapon adjustments throughout the season, so stay tuned for more!
