Best weapons in Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 2: Ultimate gun tier list

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With a reworked loot pool and a new set of guns, Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 2 has shaken up the ‘best weapons’ in the game. Now that the dust has settled on the seasonal update, a Fortnite guns tier list has formed.

Chapter 3 Season 2 of Epic Games’ hit battle royale Fortnite introduced loads of changes to the Island, not least the map itself, but the biggest update is the loot pool, with lots of new and unvaulted weapons available to add to your loadout.

The powerful Thermal Scoped Assault Rifle, with its long-distance thermal sight, has already risen to the top of the rankings, while shotgun fans will be pleased to know that the Drum Shotgun has returned and it’s better than ever.

It’s safe to say that Chapter 3 Season 2 has switched things up. It’s left many players scrambling to figure out which weapons are the best – and which ones are worst. We’re here to help with our Fortnite guns tier list.

Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 2 best weapons ranked

These are the best weapons currently available to use in Fortnite Chapter 3:

Thermal Scoped Assault Rifle
Stinger SMG
Hunter Bolt-Action Sniper Rifle
Striker Burst Rifle
Sidearm Pistol
Ranger Assault Rifle

Our ranking has been formed by taking into account stats, community feedback, and our own in-game experiences with these Fortnite guns since Chapter 3 Season 2 launched in March 2022.

Below, you’ll find each weapon separated into tiers, as well as stats and a description of how well they all perform. The S Tier represents the best in class, while the D Tier should probably be avoided.

Fortnite S Tier Weapons

The Thermal Scoped Assault Rifle is a brilliant addition to any loadout, giving you thermal vision that helps target opponents from a long distance. Unlike sniper rifles, it can fire multiple shots without having to reload, which makes it one of the best Fortnite guns this season.

When it comes to SMGs, both the Combat and Stinger are excellent choices. While the Combat has higher DPS, it does have a strong recoil so the Stinger is a slightly safer option. Whichever you choose, having one of these SMGs is essential if you’re looking to claim a Victory Crown.

Fortnite A Tier Weapons

The Hunter Bolt-Action Sniper Rifle isn’t the best sniper we’ve seen in Fortnite (that award goes to the now-vaulted Automatic), but it’s your only option right now so it’s good to have one. Besides, a well-timed headshot can still bag you a one-shot kill on an enemy without full Shields.

Now that the MK-Seven has sadly been vaulted, the Striker Burst Rifle has taken its place. It’s not quite as good, with tricky recoil to master, but it still packs a punch and has the red-dot sight that players have enjoyed since Chapter 3 began.

Shotgun fans will be glad to know that the loot pool finally has a decent one with the return of the Drum Shotgun. With a huge DPS potential and the ability to fire multiple shots like an Assault Rifle, it’s only slightly let down by a slow reload time.

Fortnite B Tier Weapons

Weapon	DPS	Reload Time	Mag Size	Image
Sidearm Pistol	209.25	1.26 seconds	15
Ranger Assault Rifle	148	2.25 seconds	25

We never thought we’d be putting a pistol in the B Tier of Fortnite guns (previously, they’ve been C Tier at best), but the Sidearm Pistol has actually proven its worth on quite a few occasions, dealing an impressive amount of damage at close range – particularly headshots – with a very fast reload time.

As for the Ranger Assault Rifle, it’s pretty average as far as AR guns go, but it’s your only option if you don’t like the MK-Seven Assault Rifle’s red dot sight. Finally, the Heavy Shotgun is brilliant for medium-distance takedowns if your aim is on point – miss, though, and the slow reload time could be your downfall.

Fortnite C Tier Weapons

Weapon	DPS	Reload Time	Mag Size	Image
Auto Shotgun	138.6	5.13 seconds	8
Revolver	99	1.8 seconds	6

On paper, the Auto Shotgun sounds like a great upgrade from the regular shotguns of previous seasons, and it does have a solid damage-per-second capability. But in reality, it’s just not worth using, mostly due to a shockingly slow reload time. Miss your shots, and you’ll probably be eliminated.

It’s a similar situation with the Revolver. It can be useful in close-range situations and does pack quite a punch, but its slow rate of fire means that if you miss, you’re leaving yourself wide open to damage. There are much better Fortnite guns this season.

Fortnite D Tier Weapons

Weapon	DPS	Reload Time	Mag Size	Image
Striker Pump Shotgun	68.64	4.5 seconds	5

There’s just one weapon in our D Tier this season, and that’s the Striker Pump Shotgun. This might come as a surprise, seeing as shotguns have been overpowered in the past, but it seems Epic went the other way with this one as it’s far too slow for close-range gunfights.

As always, this ranking could end up shifting around as Epic Games rolls out Fortnite patch updates with new weapons and old classics throughout the season. But for now, this is how the state of play looks.

We’ll be sure to update this ranking when more weapons get vaulted or unvaulted as Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 2 progresses, so check back soon to make sure you’re using the very best weapons on offer.

That’s it for our Chapter 3 weapons tier list. The addition of new Fortnite guns has left things looking quite different from previous seasons, and there are more to come as the season progresses.

Check out some of our other Fortnite guides below:

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