Fortnite players share which is the “worst” shotgun of Season 1

Stephanie Zucarelli
Fortnite player aiming Sniper Rifle

Fortnite fans agreed that there’s a new shotgun that has fallen short in comparison to other weapons introduced during Chapter 5 Season 1. Here’s what the Fortnite community has been talking about.

Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 2 is around the corner, and players have had time to test out most of Season 1 features and loadouts. From the Ballistic Shield and the Lock On Pistol, there are plenty of fan-favorite weapons, but users agree that some options need an upgrade for the battle royale’s next season.

One of those weapons is the Hammer Pump Shotgun, a slow-firing Pump Shotgun. While it was only introduced in Chapter 5 Season 1, this new type of Shotgun has won the “hatred” of most players who qualify it as a “nerf” for the shotgun class.

“Hammer Pump is the worst of both worlds regarding the classic pump and the modern pumps: it can’t deal 200 in the head like old pumps, nor can it deal the chunky 130 body shots of new pumps like the havoc or thunder. It’s pretty immediately apparent why this pump is worse than usual,” explained Redditor ‘turmspitzewerk.’

Fortnite fans commented that this shotgun has lots of inconsistencies, where the same type of shots are dealing very different amounts of damage. Even for players with good aim, the Hammer Pump pellet spread has proven to be a bit unpredictable throughout the season. “It’s the most broken shotgun added or the worst. It is way too inconsistent to judge tbh,” said user ‘W-MK29.’

However, some fans think that the main problem is that Season 1’s meta has presented two of the best weapons for short and long, which makes the Hammer Pump pale in comparison. Since the Drum Shotgun has the fastest fire rate and the Snipers dominating mid to long-range weapons, players suggest that there’s no way that the Hammer Pump can compete.

“Yup, it’s kind of why I’m over the game right now. There’s barely any mid-range play going on. It’s all snipes or just bursting people down with the auto shotgun. Every other weapon seems like an afterthought compared to any color of those two weapons. It’s a pretty boring meta,” explained user ‘SwishySalal.’

With Fortnite Chapter 2 coming in less than a month, there’s a chance that Epic Games will release a quick update to balance these weapons. Until they do, you can check why players are slamming the rail mechanic in the No Build mode, and which overpriced emote fans can’t stand anymore.

About The Author

Stephanie is a Games Writer at CharlieIntel. After graduating as a journalist, she started working as a tech writer for Infobae, Channel 9, and Rolling Stone. She's currently focused on covering Diablo 4, Baldur's Gate 3 and Fortnite, but can't resist anything related to The Sims 4 and Stardew Valley. You can contact her at [email protected].