Quentyn K. July 17, 2019
Two new shotguns are being added to Fortnite.
Epic Games has revealed that Epic and Legendary variants of the tactical shotgun will soon enter the loot pool. The new weapons are expected to be similar to the standard semi-automatic shotguns already available in the game.
No release date has been announced but many assume the guns will be included in the 9.40 content update which is set to roll out later this week.
Precedent suggests that these versions will have higher damage, faster reload speeds, and greater accuracy. They’ll also have a slightly different look compared to the lesser models.
Previously, the tactical shotgun was only available in Common, Uncommon, and Rare varieties. Other shotguns in Fortnite include the Combat Shotgun, Pump Shotgun, and the newly added Drum Shotgun.
That said, that assortment probably won’t be growing with these new additions.
In recent updates, Epic has made a point of not having too many weapons that offer similar attributes. Fortnite Season 9 in particular has seen guns shuffled around several times, with SMGs and assault rifles being vaulted and unvaulted due to the over-abundance of guns that were strong at medium range and offered a high rate of fire. The addition of two new shotguns means that other similar weapons are likely to be decommissioned to make room.
While this is noteworthy for casual players, it is big news when it comes to the Fortnite esports scene.
Shotguns have long been the weapon of choice for pros, dating back to the “Double Pump” meta when players were able to quick-swap Pump Shotguns. This was eventually patched away but with games often boiling down to close range battles, shotguns have still been the standard.
It will be interesting to see what the loot pool looks like with two new tactical shotguns and how pros adjust in the following weeks.