New Fortnite hotfix brings major Primal Shotgun nerf

These changes could have a huge impact on the Shotgun meta going forward.

Introduced as a key feature of the Fortnite Season 6 storyline, the Primal Shotgun has certainly ruffled some feathers during its first few weeks in the game. It can be looted from chests and floor spawns, or fashioned using the new crafting system, and is a devil to fight against.

As is so often the case with these more powerful items, the addition of this burst-fire Shotgun has created a rift in the community.

The Primal Shotgun has gotta go... @MartozFN pic.twitter.com/aZ1QBeNlGi

— FaZe Clan (@FaZeClan) April 3, 2021

Competitive players are almost unanimously against the Primal, owing to its absurdly large reticle size (making it easy to aim), insanely quick time-to-kill and the fact that it incentivizes face-to-face, 50/50 fighting.

Simultaneously, many more casual fans love the weapon for these very same reasons. They feel like they can finally counter the “sweats” and just enjoy using something a bit different.

Regardless of your opinion on the Primal Shotgun, it’s not going anywhere. But with that said, Epic has made some changes to try and make things a little more balanced.

We've released a hotfix adjusting:

?? The Recycler now harvests ammo faster and does more damage to structures
?? Primal Shotgun damage reduced and pullout time increased pic.twitter.com/2pZxxHsbee

— Fortnite Status (@FortniteStatus) April 8, 2021

The first nerf came during patch v16.10, though these adjustments turned out to be fairly minor. Today, the @FortniteStatus Twitter account announced a hotfix which significantly reduces Primal Shotgun damage and increases pullout time.

According to popular Fortnite leaker @HYPEX, the new values are as follows:

Primal Shotgun

• Common: 54 -> 45

• Uncommon: 57 -> 47

• Rare: 60 -> 50

• Epic: 63 -> 52

• Legendary: 66 -> 55

• Mythic: 69 -> 57

The hotfix also slightly buffed “The Recycler”, a new item which arrived on Tuesday and uses materials found around the map to shoot out lethal junk bombs. The Recycler now harvests ammo faster and does more damage to structures.