For sure, this classic was the best shotgun in the beginning. The original pump model looks so good, and we all miss it. The damage was also just insane:
Also, Double Pump was still a thing until it was nerfed 2 seasons later in Season 4 — what a time to be alive that was.
| © Epic Games
In addition to the normal Pumpgun and the Tactical Shotgun, the third ever shotgun was added to the game in Season 3. Known for its high damage and impressive range, it fired a single slug instead of a spread, making it super accurate. Due to a few nerfs of the Tactical Shotgun in the next Season, the Heavy Shotgun remained as the best one in Season 4.
| © Epic Games
Another shotgun was then added in Season 5. The Double Barrel Shotgun. The special thing about this weapon was that it could only be found in the epic and legendary rarity levels, which meant that once you had it, you didn't want to lose it and could dominate the lobby with it.
| © Epic Games
Coming closer to the end of season 6, Epic Games added a long awaited epic and legendary version of the Pump Shotgun to the game, while increasing the damage to the uncommon and rare one as well.
Pumps were now yet again able to deal 200 damage with one shot! And the new versions could do that from a slightly far range because their damage cap was 210 and 220.
Due to this weapon being so popular among players and Epic Games also not adding another shotgun, the SPAS remained the best shotgun for the next two seasons as well.
| © Epic Games
When it first came out, everyone hated the new Combat Shotgun. Nobody was used to a fast-paced and precise gun like that.
But after understanding how the weapon works and adapting the play style, the weapon became one of the best of all time! You could deal 70 to 100 damage at distances where the usual pump couldn't even connect a bullet! And the fire rate was so high as well!
After Chapter 1 the combat came back sometimes, but was brutally nerfed.
| © Epic Games
In Season X we went back to two different shotguns available. Again the Pump Shotgun and the Tactical Shotgun. Unfortunately, the Tactical Shotgun has not been able to hold its own against the Pumpgun due to the low damage numbers, especially the common and rare heist grades, despite the significantly faster fire rate.
| © Epic Games
In Chapter 2 Season 1, this gun finally popped off! The structure damage was increased to 75 and 79 on the high tier models. That meant you could break fresh walls immediately and fully built wood walls with just 2 shots!
Combined with the already OP 2.25 headshot multiplier, which meant a maxed hit of 195, the weapon was perfect for an aggressive playstyle!
| © Epic Games
In Chapter 2 Season 3 we saw the first ever released Mythic Shotgun in the game. The Kit's Charge Shotgun. This weapon is unique because it allows players to charge up their shots, increasing the damage output significantly the longer the charge is held. It had a maximum damage of 229 when fully charged.
| © Epic Games
And again, in Chapter 2 Season 4 it was the normal pump shotgun that was by far the most effective and most used shotgun, although this season the Combat Shotgun has returned to Fortnite.
| © Epic Games
The Dub is an exotic rarity weapon that could only be bought by NPCs or vending machines, or later available in Holo-Chests.
It was obviously a Double Barrel Shotgun, but with a twist. While shooting, you get a knock back effect on yourself and the person you hit. So besides being a decent damaging shotgun, you also could move and rotate around the map pretty fast!
| © Epic Games
In the Primal Season, of course, a Primal weapon had to be on top! Even though the AR was pretty bad, the Primal Shotgun was an insanely powerful weapon, that was pretty easy to play.
The shotgun fires two shots per second as a burst in a very fast pace! The damage was also pretty good, which made it a nightmare for a lot of the players.
| © Epic Games
In Season 7, the choice was again between the Tactical Shotgun and the Pumpgun. However, if you look at the loadout of the FNCS winning teams, it becomes clear that teams sometimes chose the pump shotgun and sometimes the tactical shotgun. So it was really a matter of taste, which is why we can't make a final decision for either of the two in the season.
| © YouTube Nicks
After the Tactical Shotgun was removed from the game in Season 8, players had to reorient themselves. For example, the Lever-Action Shotgun was brought back, but since the “double pump” meta, the normal pump shotgun was simply an absolute fan favorite, which is why many players chose the normal pump again.
| © Epic Games
At the start of Chapter 3, Epic Games finally presented us with a new shotgun - the Striker Pump Shotgun. This weapon was also very powerful, as it really did a lot of damage at close range and was able to “one-pump” someone with the mythic version.
| © Epic Games
For sure, it wasn't the best gun ever. It was yet again a "one shot - one opportunity"-weapon, but with a good strategy, you could hit bangers with it, even from a decent range. It was basically a Combat Shotgun with more damage and even more precision, but just one shot in the mag.
| © Epic Games
In Chapter 3 Season 3 the Two-Shot Shotgun was a fantastic new addition to Fortnite’s impressive lineup of shotguns. It functions like a pair of Auto Shotguns combined, delivering two powerful rounds with each shot. While it doesn’t match the firing speed of the Auto Shotgun or the Drum Shotgun from last season, it compensates with its double-barrel power, making each shot count.
| © Epic Games
The EvoChrome Shotgun introduced in Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 4 is a unique weapon that evolves in rarity as you deal damage to opponents. Found in special Chrome Chests, this shotgun starts at a lower rarity and can be upgraded to Mythic by consistently inflicting damage. It features a distinct crosshair and a special animation when evolving.
| © Epic Games
The Heisted Breacher Shotgun had the OG Heavy Shotgun model, but was totally different from that mechanic-wise.
Instead of shooting multiple spread shotgun bullets, you had just one single projectile to hit your opponent. While aiming down sights, you had a brutal first shot accuracy over an immense range!
Second big change, the structure damage was set to 759 which could break literally anything like a heavy sniper, but with 5 bullets in a magazine.
| © Epic Games
The mythic Havoc was always in the vaults around the map. You could enter them by getting a key from Highcard-Guards. The gun had insane base damage of 138 to the body and 210 to the head!
It was also more precised than a usual Pump Shotgun. Combined with a decent range and 70 structure damage, that was probably one of the best shotguns ever!
| © Epic Games
The original "Duff Duff" Shotgun from Chapter 1 got a mythic variant in Chapter 4 Season 3. With 12 shots in the magazine and a fire rate of 3 bullets per second, you could shred enemies!
| © Epic Games
Chapter 4 Season 4 saw the return of the Kit's Charge Shotgun and for nostalgic reasons alone, this weapon was an absolute must for every player's loadout.
| © Epic Games
Oscar’s Frenzy Auto Shotgun in Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 1 was an absolute game-changer! With its blazing fast fire rate and massive damage, it quickly became a fan favorite. The unique reload that fills all shells at once, plus the cool optic and drum mag, made it the go-to weapon for dominating the battlefield. No wonder everyone loved it!
| © Epic Games
In Chapter 5 Season 2, we got the Gatekeeper Shotgun. Just like the Combat Shotgun, people had to figure out first how to play this one. It worked pretty much like a Tactical Shotgun but with only 3 bullets.
However, it wasn't that hard to actually kill somebody with those 3 or even just 2 bullets. With a good range, fast fire rate and decent damage, this weapon was a banger if you mastered it, especially the mythic one from Cerberus.
| © Epic Games
With the removal of the boss Cerberus in Season 3, the mythical version of the Gatekeeper Shotgun was no longer available. Nevertheless, all other versions of this shotgun were the absolute meta, and the community ignored the return of the Combat Shotgun.
| © Epic Games
Chapter 5 Season 4 sees Marvel return to Fortnite. With that comes the addition of a new boss, Mysterio, who is located at the Doomstadt POI. After eliminating him, he drops the mythic version of the Sovereign Shotgun. The Sovereign Shotgun combines a solid amount of damage, a much faster fire rate than the Hammer Pump Shotgun, and most importantly, a relatively large hit box.
| © Epic Games
After years of Fortnite, we've had a lot of different crazy weapons. But to be honest, most of the time Fortnite's meta is based around the shotguns that are currently in the game.
So we figured out, which is actually the best shotgun from every single season in the game. Let's get into the ranking!
If you like nostalgic Fortnite tier lists and rankings, we might have another one for you in the back:
