Fortnite Chapter 6, Season 1 has arrived, and it brings a new Japanese-themed island, full of secret biomes and locations that are looming with demons and ronins fighting them. The season also brings new movement mechanics and the return of Hitscan weapons in the game, a feature that was long awaited by OG Fortnite players.
However, surviving in Fortnite and securing a victory royale takes skill and luck, and getting better at it requires a knowledge of the playing field and a drive to outlast your opponents, but none of that matters if you aren’t picking up the right weapons.
While the new season is full of interesting weapons that allow players to be flexible with their playstyles, some weapons are better than the rest of the pack. If you’re looking to make the perfect loadout to secure a victory royale, our tier list will help you get ahead of the curve and dominate the new island.
Here’s what you need to know about the best weapons in Fortnite.
Fortnite Chapter 6, Season 1 gun tier list
| Tiers | Weapons |
| S-Tier | Veiled Precision SMG, Sentinel Pump Shotgun, Fury Assault Rifle |
| A-Tier | Holo Twister Assault Rifle, Typhoon Blade, Twinfire Auto Shotgun |
| B-Tier | Fire Oni Mask, Surgefire SMG |
| C-Tier | Oni Shotgun, Suppressed Pistol |
The tier list above is carefully curated keeping in mind the Zero Build and Build lobbies in Chapter 6, Season 1 battle royale gameplay. Using the recommended weapons, you can make the best of your battle royale experience in the latest Fortnite season.
Recommended meta in Fortnite in December 2024
While Hitscan is enabled this Fortnite season, weapons are quite straightforward, except for a couple of new ones in the game. There are two SMGs you can play around with, however. Veiled Precision SMG reigns supreme since even from a mid-to-far range this weapon performs exceptionally well. There’s not much recoil when you’re using this gun that has a built-in 1.15x Red Dot scope and a suppressor modded already.
Since this season weapon mods have also been removed with the snipers, there’s a new Weapon Canting feature that’s been introduced that allows you to switch between first-person and third-person view with scoped weapons. As a result, the Fury Assault Rifle, which is the best Assault Rifle with heavy damage in the game, comes without a scope, giving you that classic Scar experience from the OG mode.
Since Oni Masks have also been added to the game, the Fire Oni Mask is the next recommended pick for your loadout as it is the only explosive weapon in the game and precisely locks on your enemies from afar. All in all this season is all about being precise with your shots since there’s no bullet drop and Hitscan rules the game.
Best weapons to use in Fortnite Chapter 6, Season 1
Veiled Precision SMG
The new Veiled Precision SMG comes modded with a 1.15x Red Dot Scope, Suppressor, and weapon stock to reduce recoil. Since weapons aren’t customizable in Chapter 6, this is the best-modded weapon you’ll find in the game. Even the rare (blue) variant of the SMG ensures hard-hitting damage on your enemies without much weapon sway whether you’re on the move or ADSing while walking.
While SMGs are mostly made for close-combat encounters, this one performs exceptionally well even from midrange when your Assault Rifle is out of ammo and you need a pray and spray weapon to rely on. Sure, it won’t give you as much damage as an AR, but it can significantly drain your opponent’s health, giving you enough time to rotate closer to them and land a final blow. You can also get the mythic version of this SMG by defeating the Night Rose boss at Demon’s Dojo POI.
That weapon is the best mythic gun you’ll find in the game with a high fire rate and quicker reload times. Combine it with a Fire Boon and you’ll be the quickest gunslinger on the island.
Sentinel Pump Shotgun
Fortnite is probably the only battle royale game where shotguns have a higher preference than other weapon types. That said, Chapter 6, Season 1 provides players with a classic Pump Shotgun experience with the Sentinel Pump, which has four shots in a mag and packs a heavy punch to damage enemies with.
It is closest to the Striker Pump Shotgun from Chapter 3 but with a better recoil, damage range, and lesser bloom. Since Chapter 6 weapons are all Hitscan, this weapon brings back that OG shotgun experience that immediately registers a lethal blow to the enemy, if you’re aiming straight for a headshot. Its legendary variant does 210 damage to enemies, which is reminiscent of 200 pump shotguns back in the day that everyone feared.
Fury Assault Rifle
Want a classic Hitscan Scar experience in Chapter 6, Season 1? Look no further than Fury Assault Rifle, which is a fast-firing AR that packs a lethal punch as you’d need in Fortnite. Sure, scoped weapons like Striker AR or Combat AR in the past have been better to use. But this one comes without a scope and requires you to be precise with your crosshair aiming to damage enemies.
While rifles like Hammer AR are dominating the Reload mode, Fury Assault Rifle is its counterpart in the new season, but has a larger bloom and spread. Hence, if you’re looking for a weapon for midrange fights that drain your enemy’s shield, trust Fury AR for that pray-and-spray meta combo paired with a Veiled Precision SMG.
Holo-Twister Assault Rifle
If you miss scoped assault rifles and specifically the 1.3x Holo Scope, Holo Twister AR is the gun you need in your loadout. Sure, it’s a burst-fire weapon and is a tad bit slower than the Fury AR, but it does deliver precision and deals heavy damage on enemies. Plus if you still want a classic FAMAS experience, disable Weapon Canting and you’ve now got a third-person view with your Assault Rifle. However, this gun has slower reloads, is not effective at close range, and is only suitable as an alternative to Marksman Rifles this season.
Typhoon Blade
While it’s not a gun in Fortnite, Typhoon Blade is the latest lethal weapon in Chapter 6, Season 1 that changes your gameplay style significantly. Since Fortnite already had blades in the game like Kinetic Blade and Infinity Blade in the past, Typhoon Blade works differently. It’s a great traversal item, a dodging companion, and a classic katana, all fused into one. Pick one up and use your sprint button to dash like the wind across the island, or launch a heavy attack to slam down on enemies from a higher ground.
Or if you’re feeling like a samurai, go up close and land some quick slashes to drain your enemy’s health and bamboozle them with your quick movement. However, the only downside of this weapon is that its durability decreases the more you use it. So make sure to pick your battles with this weapon — either use it as a traversal item or a katana to slash and tear through enemies like a ronin.
Twinfire Auto Shotgun
Finally, if you’re a fan of a quick-firing shotgun like the Tactical, Auto, or even the previously available Frenzy Auto Shotgun in Fortnite, you’ll love the newest Twinfire Auto Shotgun. This gun gives you a similar experience to the classic Drum Shotgun but packs an even heavier punch with each shot, with a larger spread and faster reloads when paired with a Fire Boon.
However, it doesn’t deal as much damage as you’d expect a shotgun to do, which is essentially downing an enemy with just a couple of shots. Sure you’ll need to empty an entire mag to eliminate an enemy but it does disrupt enemy attacks in those 1v1 situations or even when you’ve landed on a hot drop.
All of these recommended weapons work best for us, but ultimately, your favorite firearms will come down to preference, at least partially. If a weapon doesn’t feel good, you probably won’t like using it, no matter how much damage it deals. If you’re looking to do more in Chapter 6, check out the latest Battle Pass.
