To start Chapter 3, the biggest gripe the Fortnite community had involved the shotgun meta.

The new versions of the Pump and Tac just weren’t the same, and most of us wanted to have the old ones back in our hands.

At the same time, SMG got so much stronger that some competitive players ran two of them instead of a shotgun.

That might be a niche playstyle in traditional Fortnite, but I’m here to tell you that the optimal loadout no longer involves a shotgun, at all.

Epic Games

I’m talking about Zero Build 90% of the time, here. Who even plays normal Fortnite anymore? Losers, that’s who.

In Zero Build, the optimal loadout is AR, SMG, Impulses, Sniper/healing, shield/healing.

Shotguns are, for the most part, sub-optimal for most situations. Sure, I’d carry a purple or gold one if you find it, but Impulses are still more valuable with no building.

Epic Games

At this point, it seems like Epic’s best move is to bring the Pump back.

I don’t see much else that they can do to bring shotguns back to the meta in Zero Build.

At the same time, they’ve been the centerpiece of the meta for Fortnite’s entire lifespan. It might be about time that we had a break from them.

Jimmy Russo is a writer and editor for jaxon.gg covering a variety of games and topics. He specializes in first-person shooters including Call of Duty, Overwatch, and Valorant, while also covering livestreaming news on Twitch and other aspects of the gaming industry.