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The best Fortnite weapon right now is whichever one matches the range band you are actually fighting in — a pump-style shotgun (roughly 90–115 body DPS inside 8 metres) for close range, a standard assault rifle (about 110–150 DPS out to 60–70 m) for mid, and a bolt-action sniper or DMR for anything past 100 m. No single gun covers all three bands, which is why every strong loadout pairs two weapons with different effective ranges. This tier list ranks the current loot pool by damage per second, recoil behaviour and effective range, then maps each archetype to the slot it actually deserves.
📋 Table of Contents
Quick comparison: the archetypes that matter
Fortnite rotates its named weapons every season, so the tiers below are built around archetypes — the damage and recoil profiles that persist even when the skin on top changes. Damage figures are approximate body-shot values from the in-game stat panel and shift by a few points with each balance patch.
| Archetype | Best for | Body DPS (approx.) | Effective range | Recoil behaviour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pump-style shotgun | Close-range burst | 90–115 | 0–8 m | Very high per shot, resets between shots |
| Auto / rapid shotgun | Close-range spray | 120–160 | 0–6 m | Low per shot, wide pellet spread |
| Submachine gun | Close to short mid | 150–190 | 0–25 m | Moderate, climbs quickly when held |
| Standard assault rifle | Mid range | 110–150 | 15–70 m | Low, predictable, easy to control |
| Burst rifle | Mid to long | 120–160 | 20–80 m | Moderate, resets between bursts |
| Marksman rifle (DMR) | Long range, moving targets | 85–120 | 40–150 m | Moderate, requires re-acquisition |
| Bolt-action sniper | Long range, one-shot picks | 60–80 | 50–300 m | Very high, single shot with a scope-in delay |
| Light machine gun | Sustained mid-range pressure | 130–170 | 20–60 m | High, grows over a long burst |
How these tiers are scored
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Three numbers do almost all the work, and all three are visible on the in-game stat panel before you commit to a fight:
- DPS — per-shot damage multiplied by fire rate. It matters most inside 30 m, where both players are trading continuously.
- Recoil — how far the reticle drifts per shot and how fast it resets. A gun with 20% more DPS but a drifting reticle loses mid-range fights to a steadier one.
- Effective range — the distance at which damage falloff begins. Past that point, per-shot damage drops by a fixed step per metre, so a 150-DPS SMG at 40 m is often worse than a 120-DPS rifle.
Rarity adds a fourth variable. Each step up the rarity ladder — common, uncommon, rare, epic, legendary — applies a fixed damage increment of roughly 5–8% over the tier below it, per the in-game stat panel. A legendary version of a mid-tier archetype can therefore out-damage a common version of a top-tier one, which is worth remembering before you drop a gun you already like.
The full tier list
| Tier | Archetype | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| S | Pump-style shotgun | Highest burst damage in the game at contact range. Two body shots end most fights. |
| S | Standard assault rifle | The most forgiving mid-range weapon. Low recoil, fast reload, works in every mode. |
| S | Bolt-action sniper | Only archetype that can remove a full-health target with a single headshot. |
| A | Submachine gun | Fastest raw time-to-kill up close, but burns ammo and falls off hard past 25 m. |
| A | Auto / rapid shotgun | More forgiving than a pump, lower ceiling. Best when your aim is still developing. |
| A | Marksman rifle (DMR) | Punishes anyone crossing open ground; weak if the fight closes to 20 m. |
| B | Burst rifle | Rewarding at 40–80 m if you can land the full burst; punishing if you cannot. |
| B | Light machine gun | Excellent for suppressing a build, but the long reload is a death sentence in the open. |
| B | Pistol | Fine as an early-game placeholder, outclassed the moment you find anything else. |
| C | Explosive launchers | Situational structure removal, not a primary damage source. Slow projectile, self-damage risk. |
S tier in practice
The pump-style shotgun, a standard assault rifle and a bolt-action sniper each dominate a band that the others cannot reach. Their trade-off is identical: they demand accuracy. Miss a pump shot inside 8 m and you have roughly a full second of vulnerability before the next one.
A tier in practice
SMGs, auto shotguns and DMRs trade peak power for consistency. An auto shotgun spreads its damage across pellets, so a sloppy hit still lands something; a DMR lets you pressure a target at 100 m without the bolt-action’s scope-in delay. Both are the right call if your tracking is stronger than your flick aim.
B and C tier in practice
These are not bad guns — they are guns with a narrow window. A burst rifle is genuinely strong at 60 m against a stationary target. An LMG shreds a ramp someone is rebuilding. The problem is that both leave you exposed during a reload or a missed burst, and neither covers a second range band.
Loadouts by range band
Close-range loadout
Pump-style shotgun as the primary, submachine gun as the follow-up. The shotgun handles the opening exchange inside 8 m; the SMG covers the 10–25 m gap while the shotgun cycles. Fill the remaining slots with shield and healing items — a close-range player takes chip damage constantly and needs the sustain.
Mid-range loadout
Standard assault rifle plus a second weapon of the same band or one step closer. This is the default for most players because it covers the widest slice of the map: 15–70 m is where the majority of engagements happen. Add a shotgun only if you expect to contest buildings or named locations.
Long-range loadout
Bolt-action sniper or DMR as the primary, assault rifle as the fallback. The sniper is for picks on stationary or predictable targets; the rifle handles everything between 20 m and 60 m that you cannot scope onto. In squads, one long-range player per team is usually enough — two snipers means two players who cannot push.
Worked example: why DPS alone is misleading
Take a target with 150 effective HP (100 health plus 50 shield). Here is how long each archetype needs to finish them, assuming every shot hits the body and no healing is used:
| Weapon | Body damage per shot | Shots needed | Fire rate | Time to kill |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pump-style shotgun | 92 | 2 | 1.1 shots/sec | ~0.91 s |
| Submachine gun | 17 | 9 | 10 shots/sec | ~0.80 s |
| Standard assault rifle | 33 | 5 | 4.5 shots/sec | ~0.89 s |
| Marksman rifle | 42 | 4 | 2.5 shots/sec | ~1.20 s |
| Bolt-action sniper | 105 | 2 | 0.7 shots/sec | ~1.43 s |
The SMG posts the fastest theoretical kill, yet it needs nine consecutive hits inside 25 m to do it. The shotgun needs two, but only inside 8 m. That gap — two shots versus nine — is the entire reason shotguns stay in S tier despite lower headline DPS. The sniper’s 1.43 s looks poor until you remember a headshot removes that 150 HP in a single frame.
Decision matrix: what to pick for your situation
| Your situation | Recommended loadout | Why |
|---|---|---|
| New player, still building aim | Assault rifle + auto shotgun | Forgiving spread and low recoil mean partial hits still deal damage. |
| Aggressive, drops into hot locations | Pump shotgun + SMG | Highest burst damage inside 8 m and a fast follow-up while the shotgun cycles. |
| Zero Build, open terrain | Assault rifle + DMR | Covers 20–120 m; you rarely get close enough to justify a shotgun slot. |
| Squad support role | Assault rifle + sniper + heals | You break shields from range and keep teammates topped up instead of pushing. |
| Only four inventory slots free | Shotgun + assault rifle | Two weapons covering 0–70 m beats one weapon covering 0–25 m plus utility. |
| Late game, small circle | Shotgun + SMG or shotgun + rifle | Fights collapse to under 15 m; long-range slots become dead weight. |
Common mistakes that cost fights
Most players lose to inventory management rather than to a worse gun. The recurring errors:
- Two weapons in the same range band. A shotgun and an SMG is a valid pair; two shotguns is not. You end up unable to fight at 30 m.
- Carrying a sniper in the final three circles. Past the second-to-last zone, sniper slots would be better spent on shield or mobility.
- Ignoring ammo types. Running a shotgun and an SMG means two ammo pools competing for the same drops. Two weapons sharing a calibre is a real logistical advantage.
- Holding a low-rarity favourite. A common version of your preferred rifle is usually worse than an uncommon version of an archetype one tier lower — check the stat panel before you swap.
- Reloading mid-push. The LMG’s long reload and the pump’s per-shot cycle are the two moments you are most exposed. Reload behind cover, not while advancing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best weapon in Fortnite right now?
There is no single best gun, because the loot pool and damage values change with each balance patch. Judged by archetype, a pump-style shotgun holds S tier for close range, a standard assault rifle for mid range, and a bolt-action sniper for long range. Pick the one that matches the distance you expect to fight at.
Is a shotgun better than an SMG?
At point-blank range, yes — a pump shotgun needs two body shots to secure a 150 HP elimination, while an SMG needs roughly nine. Between 10 m and 25 m the SMG wins, because shotgun pellet spread reduces the damage that actually connects. The two cover different windows rather than competing directly.
Should I carry a sniper or a DMR?
A bolt-action sniper offers one-shot headshot potential and the longest effective range, but it has a scope-in delay and a slow bolt cycle. A DMR fires faster, tracks moving targets more easily and needs no scope commitment. If you can reliably hit headshots, take the sniper; if you prefer volume of accurate fire, take the DMR.
How many weapons should I carry in Fortnite?
Two is the standard, covering two adjacent range bands — typically a shotgun plus a rifle. A third weapon slot is only worth it if it fills a genuine gap, such as a sniper in squads or an explosive for structure removal. Everything else should go to shields, healing and mobility.
Does weapon rarity actually matter?
Yes, but less than archetype. Each rarity step adds roughly 5–8% more damage than the tier below, so a legendary version of a mid-tier gun can out-damage a common version of a top-tier one. That said, a common assault rifle at 40 m will usually beat a legendary SMG at the same distance because of damage falloff.
What is the best loadout for Zero Build?
An assault rifle paired with a DMR covers the 20–120 m band where most Zero Build fights happen, with the remaining slots spent on shields and mobility items. Shotguns are still worth carrying if you expect to fight inside buildings or around cover, but in open terrain they spend most of the match unused.
