Gaming: I'm Tired Of Running The Same Fortnite Loadout—both Smgs And...

Red-dot assault rifles have been too strong for too long

The assault rifle and shotgun combo has dominated Fortnite for too long. Every time I refresh our best weapons guide they're collectively at the top of the tier list—and if the assault rifle has a red-dot sight it's essentially a must carry. This season's scoped Deadeye AR, for example, is by far the best gun in the loot pool despite several nerfs.

Only a couple of overpowered, and incredibly fun, revolvers disrupted the meta in 2025 (and even then, the Wrecker revolver was basically a shotgun anyway). It's too early to judge Fortnite in 2026 and I, for one, am enjoying Chapter 7's big, varied map, even if I'm grieving shockwaves. But having to carry the same old loadout combinations is starting to feel a little stale.

There's no quick fix, but I think part of the solution is two unloved, forgotten classes of weapons: SMGs and Snipers.

The last spectacular SMG was Chapter 5's beloved Thunder Burst, way back in 2024. It was accurate, versatile, and hard-hitting. But since then, SMGs have been outclassed by rifles at mid-range and shotguns up close, and they're only really viable if you carry them as a third weapon to spray enemies between shotgun blasts. Carrying three weapons means one less mobility, healing, or utility item, worsening your chances of a win.

SMGs should be low-recoil, high-damage beasts with accurate hipfire and limited range. They shouldn't compete with assault-rifles over long distances, and in close quarters a shotgun should still win most of the time, but they should be the versatile stalwarts of the in-between. An agile SMG-led playstyle that plays distances smartly should be viable, and right now it's not.

Getting them there might require boosting all their stats to the point they're overpowered: higher damage, lower recoil, and bigger magazines. But that's absolutely fine with me. What's the worst that can happen? If they become S-tier weapons, that would simply bring them in line with any red-dot assault rifle in the loot pool.

But buffing them alone won't be enough. Part of the problem is that assault rifles are just too darn good.

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It pains me to say that—the Holo Twister from Chapter 6 is one of my favorite Fortnite weapons ever—but their accuracy, high fire rates and decent hipfire make them useful in practically every situation. They can dominate at longer ranges,

Source: PC Gamer