Latest Fortnite update brings massive weapon balance changes

Epic Games has done a great job with the recent minor Fortnite update for Chapter 3 Season 3. The big update has brought big changes to the game, including a new weapon loot pool.

However, many Fortnite players have decided not to use the new weapons. Not only did some of these weapons force them to change the way they play, but their damage simply wasn't good enough to justify using them.

Fortunately, the Fortnite update on June 9 has made some of the new weapons much more effective. These changes are mostly great and should make new items more popular.

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Recent Fortnite update buffs two new weapons

Even in the new season, Epic Games has decided to keep the Pump Shotgun in the Vault. This is arguably the most popular shotgun in the history of the game, yet it is no longer available to players.

Instead of unvaulting it, the Fortnite developer has experimented with new shotguns. Season 3 has brought the Two-Shot Shotgun, which is very similar to the Pump variant in terms of damage.

The weapon shoots two quick shots before reloading, making it quite deadly for close-range combat. Despite its damage, many players would rather pick a submachine gun, which was a better option for taking targets down from close range.

Several things have changed in the latest Fortnite update and the Two-Shot Shotgun has been drastically buffed.

The raw damage of this weapon has been buffed from 75/80/85/90/95/95 to 80/85/90/95/98/99 hit points. In addition to this, the weapon now hits at least four pellets, one pellet more than before.

In short, this means that Epic Games has increased both the minimum and maximum damage of the Two-Shot Shotgun with the latest update.

Furthermore, it is important to note that the Mythic Two-Shot Shotgun is now capable of dealing 198 headshot damage. While it's still not as powerful as the Pump Shotgun in the previous chapters, it's now one of the strongest weapons in the game.

The Hammer Assault Rifle, which was another new weapon in Season 3, has also received a buff in the latest Fortnite update.

The Fortnite update has made the Hammer Assault Rifle more effective (Image via Epic Games)

While this weapon received no stats increase, its recoil has been reduced. Considering that recoil used to be the biggest flaw of the new assault rifle, this is definitely a huge improvement.

This weapon is very underrated, but that's most likely due to the fact that it's still new and many players haven't gotten a chance to learn how to use it yet. The Common (gray) variant of the weapon deals 27 damage per shot and it goes all the way to 35 for the Mythic variant.

Besides these stats, the weapon benefits from First Shot Accuracy, which makes its first shot very lethal. Compared to the assault rifles from the previous chapters, it also has a much faster reload time.

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Fortnite's recent update creates a balance by nerfing two weapons

While the Two-Shot Shotgun and the Hammer Assault Rifle received buffs with the recent Fortnite update, two other weapons have been nerfed. This was done to make things more balanced and to increase the usage of the new items.

The Striker Burst Assault Rifle had its damage reduced from 28/29/31/33/34 to 27/29/30/32/33. This affects both body shots and build damage. By extension, it also affects headshot damage as its been reduced by 1.5 hit points for each rarity.

This weapon is still amazing and its burst firing rate is what makes it very valuable in many situations, primarily in the building mode. However, this change will most likely have many players switch to the Hammer Assault Rifle and try it out.

The Striker Burst Assault Rifle has also been affected by the latest Fortnite update (Image via Epic Games)

The maximum damage of this weapon is now 33 hit points for a body shot and just under 50 for a head shot. The reload time is also much longer than the reload time of the Hammer Assault Rifle.

On the positive side, this is probably the most reliable weapon in the game at the moment. It is capable of dealing consistent damage from nearly every range and can be found in all loot sources.

Finally, the latest Fortnite update has also affected the Combat Submachine Gun. What makes this change interesting is the fact that Epic Games made a mistake and buffed it first. After realizing the mistake, they nerfed the weapon and it now deals 17/18/19/20/21 damage from Common to Mythic.

This weapon had been one of the most lethal weapons in Chapter 3 and it was the right choice for everyone's inventory before the nerf. However, this change may force players to switch to the Two-Shot Shotgun, which is most likely the point of the update.

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Mythic variants are still amazing after recent Fortnite update

Despite the nerfs, Mythic variants of every weapon in Fortnite are amazing. These weapons have superior stats across the board and can help players win gun fights easily.

The best part? Getting Mythic weapons requires no boss eliminations this season. Instead, players will have to plant Reality Seeds and get weapons and other items from them, including Mythic ones.

Fortnite players have to plant Reality Seeds to get Mythic weapons in Season 3 (Image via Epic Games)

Fortunately, players can still save their Mythic weapons in tents, which is a great strategy to start every game with a great inventory.

While this variant is amazing, it is far from overpowered. Unlike some other Mythic items from the past Fortnite seasons, such as the Infinity Blade, the new Mythic weapons are just right. Considering that they are extremely rare, having them in the game is not a big deal and the community is fine with them.

It appears that Epic Games has decided to take a different approach with Mythic items and make them more accessible to everyone. Instead of making these items unique and available to only one player, anyone can possess them, but they are not as strong as the Mythic items from Chapter 1 and Chapter 2.