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Epic Games has made some initial changes to the way Shotguns work in Fortnite Chapter 3.
Despite Epic turning off controller aim assist in close range fights, SMGs and spray weapons have dominated the first few days of Fortnite Chapter 3. The new Striker Pump and Auto Shotguns have simply been unable to keep up.
Though these changes to the meta have been a blessing for some, others were left sorely disappointed. Fortunately for these people, the developers have already released a set of balancing adjustments to help level the playing field.
The official @FortniteStatus Twitter account confirmed the following:
We’ve made adjustments to some of the new items in Chapter 3!
— Fortnite Status (@FortniteStatus) December 10, 2021
?? Increased the accuracy of the Striker Pump Shotgun.
??Slightly increased the fire rate of the Striker Pump Shotgun.
?? Decreased the amount of time it takes to pull out the Auto Shotgun.
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Firstly, both the accuracy and fire rate of the Striker Pump Shotgun have been increased. According to popular competitive analyst Reisshub, the fire rate now seems to be the same as the old pump from last season.
Additionally, they have decreased the amount of time it takes to pull out the Auto Shotgun. This makes it more practical for edit plays and build fights, though doesn’t help with the low damage numbers.
Environmental damage dealt by the MK-Seven Assault Rifle has also been reduced, meaning you may get a tiny bit longer to react when someone starts shooting at you. Hip-firing the weapon is now less accurate too.
?? Decreased the environmental damage of the MK-Seven Assault Rifle and made it less accurate while hipfiring.
— Fortnite Status (@FortniteStatus) December 10, 2021
?? Slightly increased the damage rate and moderately increased the accuracy of the Ranger Assault Rifle.
?? Increased the heal speed of Guzzle Juice.
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This season’s other main AR, the Ranger Assault Rifle has received a small buff. It’s damage rate and accuracy have been “moderately increased”, making it an even more viable pick.
Finally in this hotfix, the heal speed of Guzzle Juice has been significantly increased. Leaker @iFireMonkey explained that it will now heal 3x faster, so you can get back out into battle in no time.
While these changes will be a welcomed starting point for Shotgun fans, they will definitely be hoping for more in the coming weeks. The consistently poor damage is the biggest issue, and SMGs remain untouched and as powerful as ever.
