Our picks for the best Fortnite weapons right now are the Holo-Twister assault rifle, the Sentinel Pump shotgun and the Veiled Precision SMG. Fortnite's loot pool changes every season, and so does the meta, so treat this as our read at the time of writing. The reasoning for each pick should still help when the list moves on.
Assault rifles
Assault rifles stay the safest slot because they work at any range. We'd rank three of them.
1. Holo-Twister
A hitscan rifle with a built-in scope, little spread when firing from the hip, and a fast fire rate. It handles close and mid range well and keeps up at distance. The Mythic Enhanced version adds damage without changing how it feels.
2. Ranger
The Ranger first appeared in Chapter 3 and still holds up. It is accurate at long range, hits harder per shot than the Holo-Twister and damages structures better than the Fury. The slow fire rate hurts you up close, so keep a pump shotgun ready.
3. Fury
Not a bad gun, just outclassed. It fires fast but does the least damage of the three, so grab it only if you can't find the other two.
Shotguns
1. Sentinel Pump
Slow, with a long reload and a short damage fall-off, but each pellet group hits hard enough to one-shot in the right hands. It also tears through builds. It rewards patience and steady aim.
2. Oni Shotgun
Divisive. It reloads quickly and does good structure damage, but the two-shell clip and tight spread punish a miss. A decent backup.
3. Twinfire Auto
On paper the best damage per second. In practice it feels weaker than an SMG in the same range, so we'd skip it when other options are around.
Submachine guns
SMGs suit close-range fights and finishing fleeing enemies, because hitscan means no travel time. The Veiled Precision SMG is the pick of the current options, with the Surgefire as the second choice. Both are easy to control and forgiving if your aim wobbles.
Snipers and long-range options
The Hunting Rifle is the straightforward choice and the Rail Gun the flashy one. Both suit players who like to hold an angle instead of rushing. Carry a shotgun if you take either.
Pistols and extras
- Lock-On Pistol: forgiving and good for mixed-range fights.
- Suppressed Pistol: quiet and precise for early game.
- Typhoon Blade and Kinetic Blade: melee picks with mobility benefits.
- Burst Quad Launcher: handy for breaking builds, less so for duels.
Building a loadout
A sensible loadout is a precise rifle, a pump shotgun, an SMG or second rifle, and a healing or mobility item. Tournaments use these same categories, which we cover in our Fortnite esports guide.
A word of caution on cheating: Fortnite bans are permanent, and no cheat is risk free. Our Fortnite cheat page explains what the product does, and the live status page is worth checking before every session.