Fortnite vaults the Combat Shotgun and two more weapons in a surprise hotfix

Fortnite seems forever shrouded in controversy, and the latest patch and Hotfix aren't helping. The 10.20 Content Update brought back the Floating Island and introduced the turtler's newest nightmare, the Zapper Trap. But the subsequent Hotfix (10.20.2) is where the controversy lies, as it brought with it a handful of weapons adjustments.

First, the Suppressed Assault Rifle has been unvaulted and is now available in Epic and Legendary variants. And the Automatic Sniper, which Epic claims was underperforming, has gotten a damage increase: "The Automatic Sniper was underperforming relative to some of the other Sniper Rifles. This adjustment to damage should make it more desirable as an alternative long-range weapon."

Now onto the more controversial weapons changes - vaulting. Epic has vaulted three weapons in this Hotfix: the Combat Shotgun, the Drum Shotgun, and the Proximity Launcher, bringing the total shotgun count down to two (the Pump and Tactical Shotguns). The Combat Shotgun was a polarizing, but super effective, weapon that was highly sought after because of its long range and high damage. While some players felt like the shotgun was overpowered and too easy to use, others were sad to see it go.

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As we've seen before, vaulting a weapon doesn't necessarily mean it'll be gone forever, but it's highly likely we won't be seeing the Combat Shotgun for quite some time. Whether that makes the game better or worse is yet to be determined, but like everything Fortnite-related, there is perpetual disagreement about it.

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Alyssa Mercante used to be a features writer at GamesRadar+ and is now a freelance writer and editor. Prior to entering the industry, she got her Masters's degree in Modern and Contemporary Literature at Newcastle University with a dissertation focusing on contemporary indie games. She spends most of her time playing competitive shooters and in-depth RPGs and was recently on a PAX Panel about the best bars in video games. In her spare time Alyssa rescues cats, practices her Italian, and plays soccer.