Fortnite Shotguns Guide

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Vishal Thakur

Vishal is your friendly neighborhood video game and hip-hop geek, who just so happens to love writing. Vishal is a Fortnite enthusiast that has been around since the days when no one knew how to build. Now years later, he can build at breakneck speeds, has more Victory Royales than he can count, and wants to pass on helpful hints and tips to help you do the same!

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Intro

Shotguns. Just the word alone should be enough to conjure up fond memories for Fortnite players. Whether it’s ‘one-pumping’ your enemy during an intense box fight or charging your charge shotgun to hit at the perfect moment, shotguns are a crucial weapon to include in your arsenal. As much as you may want to camp from a distance and just spray your enemies with an assault rifle or SMG, you will be rendered helpless in close-quarters battles, especially if your enemy is a good builder. Fortnite shotguns are the perfect blend between balance and power, allowing you to do heavy damage from close and (depending on the type of shotgun) close-to-medium range. 

Before we go in-depth on the different types of shotguns and their stats, I wanted to bust a few myths about this weapon type:

Myth 1 – Shotguns are only for Aggressive Players

Let’s be honest, all players will benefit from having a shotgun in their loadout. Why? Well, for starters, shotguns and shotgun shells are easy to find and abundant across the map. You can find them in loot chests, on the ground, supply drops, vending machines, and even NPCs who sell them. While aggressive players will benefit from the one-hit-kill potential of shotguns, they are also an excellent way to defend yourself from aggressive enemies. I consider myself a fairly aggressive player. Regardless of the situation, I am always ready to charge into battle and get right into opponents’ faces. When playing with squadmates, I’ve died countless times simply from underestimating the enemy squad and aggressively fighting them by myself. My friends affectionately refer to this maneuver as “pulling a V,” as in pulling an aggressive Vishal move that gets you killed. Love you guys. But even they admit that having a shotgun is handy, even if we decide to play cautiously and from a distance. You just never know when you will get rushed by an enemy “pulling a V.” 

Myth 2 – Shotguns are only good at Higher Rarities

This myth is pretty easy to bust because I have raw numbers as evidence to back my claims. The old pump shotgun from Chapters 1 and 2 is arguably the most popular shotgun (and maybe even weapon) in Fortnite, so we will use its damage output as an example:

Now, compare the overall damage output and reload time between a common and legendary pump shotgun. Captain Obvious would point out that the legendary version is better in every way. It should be given that it’s harder to find or upgrade to. But I want to turn your attention to the fact that the base damage of a common pump shotgun is still pretty high. A well-placed headshot from any rarity can do significant damage. And in terms of how much better a legendary pump is than the common, it does a modest 28% more damage than a common and reloads 27% faster. Those numbers don’t jump off the page to me, but maybe I’m biased given I’m the writer of this article. Regardless, uncommon and common shotguns get a bad rap, and I’m here to say they have utility (especially in early and mid-game). 

Myth 3 – Chapter 3 Season 1 Shotguns are Weak

I will admit, when the newest Fortnite chapter began (at the time of this article), I was a bit underwhelmed by the Striker Pump and Auto shotguns. They felt inferior to previous iterations of shotguns, and I even pondered using an AR and SMG-only loadout. Well, after a few updates and balance changes, I would say these new shotguns are once again beneficial to have in your loadout. A quick look at their stats reveals how powerful they can be:

Striker Pump Shotgun

Auto Shotgun

The one-pump ability of the Striker Pump isn’t all that different from the classic pump shotgun, and the Auto shotgun is sure to lead to wild moments for players who love to spray and pray. In conclusion: these new shotguns are legit!

Bottom Line

Fortnite shotguns possess the rare quality of being balanced yet powerful weapons, making them an essential part of your loadout. That being said, not all shotguns are created the same. The classic Pump and Charge shotguns stand out to me as being most effective, whereas the Dragon’s Breath and Makeshift shotguns are comically bad. Nonetheless, shotguns are among the few easy-to-find weapons in Fortnite that have one-shot kill potential (depending on the shotgun class). So, get to practicing your shotty skills!

In-Depth Shotgun Guide

Okay, time to get into the meat of our shotgun guide. This section is devoted to providing in-depth statistics, analysis, and ratings for every shotgun to ever exist in the game (at least the ones I can recall). 

Striker Pump Shotgun

A well-balanced shotgun with one-pump ability, the Striker Pump is a welcome addition to the long list of shotguns in Fortnite. First introduced in Chapter 3, skeptics were initially underwhelmed by this gun as it felt inferior to the traditional pump shotgun. But a glance at its stats reveals it is equally as powerful as the traditional Pump, albeit with slower reload times. I’ll admit I always prefer to use a Striker Pump over an Auto shotgun this season, simply because it suits my aggressive playstyle. I usually weaken an opponent with one shot of the Striker and then spray them down with my SMG. This gun is also suitable for sneaking in shots between edits, especially if you land a nicely placed headshot. 

• Grade: B+

Auto Shotgun

A spray and pray player’s best friend, the Auto shotgun, presents a novel way to use shotguns in Fortnite Chapter 3. That is, you can just hold down your fire button and hope for the best. The Auto shotgun has seen many buffs to make it more powerful and balanced, especially with reload times being shortened. To me, that makes this gun marginally more helpful in a pinch, but I still feel it doesn’t come close to the Striker pump. The Auto shotgun lacks the significant damage output you expect from a shotgun. If your target is stationary, then maybe landing a few shots with this shotgun will be enough to kill them, but we all know players like to move and jump around to avoid getting shot. This makes landing consecutive shots with the Auto shotgun challenging, decreasing its usefulness in battles. And God forbid if you have to reload this weapon… its reload times are so slow that the next chapter of Fortnite will be released before you finish reloading this weapon. I kid. This weapon just isn’t suited for my playstyle, but I can see it being a “newbie-friendly” weapon.

• Grade: C-

Pump Shotgun

Ahh, yes, we have arrived at the omega of shotguns in Fortnite, every pro and semi-pro player’s best friend: the classic pump shotgun. I don’t know if it’s the satisfaction of one-pumping your enemy into the ether or the sound that the epic and legendary pumps make; it’s just so satisfying and comforting to have this weapon in your loadout. Okay, I’ll stop gassing up this weapon, but the only real drawback to the Pump that I can see is that it’s tough to use if your aim isn’t great. But, if you can land your shots, this weapon is your best friend. It has high damage output and is balanced regarding magazine size and reload time. It’s no surprise fans were disappointed when it was vaulted in the season’s past. The Pump, or a variation of the Pump (see Striker Pump above), simply belongs in the game. No debate.

• Grade: A+

Tactical Shotgun

The Tactical shotgun is fun to use and is relatively balanced. I think it’s a good gun to have in the game due to its ease of use, and it is most definitely a newbie’s best friend. The main weakness of this weapon is its fairly low damage output per shot. It makes up for this by having a faster fire rate and magazine size than most shotguns. There’s nothing really ‘tactical’ about this gun, but it’s a worthy gun, especially at higher rarities.

• Grade: B+

Heavy Shotgun

Sadly, the Heavy shotgun has been vaulted in Battle Royale since I began playing Fortnite in early 2020. The only experience I have with it is occasionally messing around with it in Creative, but that’s certainly not enough of a sample size to give it a fair assessment. Some online research reveals that the Heavy shotgun has a significant headshot multiplier, which rewards precision from close range (much like a pump shotgun). It seems to be pretty balanced from its stats, in between a Tactical shotgun and Pump. I’d hazard a guess that this gun would be welcomed back fondly, even if just for the nostalgia OG players would have using it. But, unfortunately, I just don’t know enough about it to give it an actual grade.

• Grade: Nostalgic?

Double Barrel Shotgun

Another shotgun-type with which I have little experience, aside from maybe the exotic variant known as “The Dub.” What makes The Dub so unique is its knockback ability, forcing opponents to keep their distance from you and even offering mobility in the form of knocking YOU into the air if aimed at the ground. It’s a hell of a lot of fun to use, but in terms of overall utility, I’m not entirely sold. The Double Barrel shotgun’s stats make it seem like a damage output monster, which it can be, but only from close range. It also punishes you for missing by having a minuscule magazine size. Sure it reloads pretty quick, but without the knockback ability of the exotic, I’d be afraid of taking too much damage fumbling around with this shotgun. Use at your discretion.

• Grade: C

Combat Shotgun

A rare breed amongst Fortnite shotguns, the Combat shotgun is perhaps the only one that is effective at the medium range. Yup, you read that right, a shotgun that can do a decent chunk of damage from the medium range! That, coupled with its fast fire rate, makes it a good weapon for long-distance players. Its overall damage is underwhelming, but I’d surmise a long-distance player isn’t necessarily looking for that “one-pump” power. So, if you’re afraid to get into an opponent’s face, then make sure you have a Combat shotgun handy.

• Grade: B-

Drum Shotgun

Argh, another weapon I’ve rarely used. The Drum Shotgun was last available in Chapter 2, Season 1, before being vaulted. I just missed the opportunity to use what appears to be a monstrous shotgun. Fully automatic and a large magazine size that quickly reloads all at once?! Sign me up. Perhaps it’s too overpowered to be brought back, but if it is, you best believe I will be using it.

• Grade: OP?

Charge Shotgun

Okay, I was waiting for this one. The Charge shotgun is a skilled player’s absolute best friend, whereas newbies have nightmares trying to get this thing going. What makes the Charge shotgun unique is its ability to, well, charge up and maximize damage output. It’s tricky to use because you have to time your release perfectly, and your enemy will hear the gun being charged up. But, a well-timed and perfectly placed charged shot is one of the more satisfying ways to get a kill in Fortnite. Don’t even get me started on Kit’s Mythic variant; that gun shouldn’t even be legal. The bottom line is if you can hit your shots, the Charge is the way to go.

• Grade: A

Dragon’s Breath Shotgun

Ew. That’s all I can say about this gun. I don’t know what sort of dragon’s breath they’re using, but this shotgun is pretty awful. From the fact that it shoots all 4 shells at once to its relatively slow reload time, I don’t see how anyone could use the Dragon’s Breath shotgun and expect to have success. Sure, sure, it does extra fire damage to players and builds – I get that – but I still don’t think that’s enough to save it from being the lamest shotgun around. Avoid at all costs.

• Grade: F

Lever Action Shotgun

I have a soft spot in my cold heart for the Lever Action shotgun. I don’t know what it is, but this gun just does it all for me. It’s probably because I stay close-to-medium range from my opponents, which is where this shotgun shines. It has a fairly decent damage output, fire rate, and magazine size. I’d liken it to a slightly weaker but more range-y pump shotgun. The Lever Action’s only glaring weakness is its preposterously long reload times, but this is somewhat rectified at higher rarities. Give it a go! I think this is a balanced shotgun.

• Grade: A

Makeshift Shotgun

The first of its kind, a makeshift weapon that just begs to be upgraded! I think the Makeshift shotgun suffers from “new mechanic syndrome,” in that it was solely introduced in Chapter 2, Season 6, so that players could practice crafting/upgrading it to the more powerful Primal shotgun. I don’t know why anybody would want to use a Makeshift shotgun mid or late-game; it just doesn’t light a candle compared to the Primal. It has weaker damage output, fire rate, and magazine size. Plus, it just looks and sounds like a junkyard weapon. Blah.

• Grade: Upgrade ASAP

Primal Shotgun

Last and certainly not least, the Primal shotgun rounds out our list of shotguns in Fortnite. This one is similar to the Auto shotgun in some respects, only with less damage and a higher fire rate. I was not a fan of the Primal because it felt weak and didn’t suit my aggressive playstyle. I don’t know. Maybe I’m just going to looney writing about all these shotguns. The Legendary and Mythic variants are probably the way to go but don’t expect any one-shot kills with this bad boy. All I have to say is at least it’s not a primal bow.

• Grade: C+

Conclusion 

In conclusion, shotguns in Fortnite are all unique and varied, but some are a better option than others. If I had to recommend a few shotguns, I would probably recommend the classic Pump shotgun or Charge shotgun for experienced players. For newbies, try out the Tactical shotgun or Auto shotgun since they are easier to spam and will likely land you some kills as you get used to the game’s mechanics. A most honorable mention to the lever-action shotgun, which has a special place in my heart due to its balance and versatility. 

The most important thing to take away from this article is that, regardless of your playstyle, having a shotgun in your loadout is essential as it can be the difference between success or failure in close-quarter battles. And to those skeptics who are internally screaming saying, “I always fight from a distance!” well, you can still get bum-rushed by an enemy. You might need a heavy-hitting shotgun in a pinch. Worse comes to worst, range-style players can practice implementing a combat shotgun because it hits pretty hard from medium range.

Just one last word on shotguns before I bid you adieu: don’t be afraid to rush into enemies’ boxes with your shotty! There’s this misconception that “W-keying” or playing aggressive is a noob way to play. This strategy can help new players build confidence when they aren’t as experienced with the game’s building mechanics. Fortnite has incredible strategic gameplay – no two battle royale matches are quite the same – but I promise you that eliminations coming from the end of your shotgun are some of the most satisfying moments this game has to offer. So sit back, aim well, and fire away.

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