TheRetroArcade
Veteran
Posts: 1,965
Joined: Feb 2026
Joined: Feb 2026
Weapon buffs and new guns in Fortnite Chapter 7 make it the most balanced loot pool I can remember.
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I love a good moan about Fortnite: about Epic Games vaulting my beloved shockwave grenades, about the sorry state of SMGs, and about a baffling update adding off-brand weapons.
So I should give credit where credit's due. Through careful buffs and bringing back some older weapons, Epic Games has curated the best loot pool in ages.
I felt very differently a month ago. I loved Chapter 7's varied map, but one weapon—the Deadeye AR—dominated. No other rifle came . SMGs were as irrelevant as they have been for most of the past year, and the sole sniper only felt viable in a three-weapon loadout alongside the Deadeye and a shotgun.
What a difference a few weeks can make. I took a chunk of time off as paternity leave and I've returned to find that bad weapons are suddenly good and that a new red-dot rifle, the MK-seven, is challenging the Deadeye's supremacy.
The most meaningful change has been to SMGs. Epic has ditched the fast-firing Dual Micro SMGs to focus on the Holo and Flex SMGs, buffing the damage and magazine size on both weapons. The Holo always had potential because of its optic, which made it easier to aim—now, it's finally fulfilling that potential as a stable, high-damage, full-auto weapon that shines over short-to-medium ranges. Its 200 damage-per-second means that when I've played a little stealthy and caught opponents napping, I've obliterated them before they know what's happening.
It's so good that for certain players it's worth ditching the Deadeye assault rifle. The Holo's damage fall-off makes it struggle at mid-to-long ranges but if you can control sightlines, slip in and out of cover and get to another player, you'll beat the Deadeye in a straight fight.
The Flex got a similar buff and while I still prefer the Holo, the Flex is a more… well, flexible weapon. Its rapid hipfire sprays through builds and when you right click, it fires slower but deals more damage, and is surprisingly accurate at range. Its new larger magazine means you can theoretically deal more than 200 damage per second for more than four seconds before reloading. Lethal.
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
And this is all happening while Epic has added zero-gravity Flowberry items, t...Read more: Full article on www.pcgamer.com
What do you think about this?
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Every Thursday
GTA 6 O'clock
Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.
Every Friday
Knowledge
From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.
Every Thursday
The Setup
Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.
Every Wednesday
Switch 2 Spotlight
Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.
Every Saturday
The Watchlist
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Once a month
SFX
Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!
I love a good moan about Fortnite: about Epic Games vaulting my beloved shockwave grenades, about the sorry state of SMGs, and about a baffling update adding off-brand weapons.
So I should give credit where credit's due. Through careful buffs and bringing back some older weapons, Epic Games has curated the best loot pool in ages.
I felt very differently a month ago. I loved Chapter 7's varied map, but one weapon—the Deadeye AR—dominated. No other rifle came . SMGs were as irrelevant as they have been for most of the past year, and the sole sniper only felt viable in a three-weapon loadout alongside the Deadeye and a shotgun.
What a difference a few weeks can make. I took a chunk of time off as paternity leave and I've returned to find that bad weapons are suddenly good and that a new red-dot rifle, the MK-seven, is challenging the Deadeye's supremacy.
The most meaningful change has been to SMGs. Epic has ditched the fast-firing Dual Micro SMGs to focus on the Holo and Flex SMGs, buffing the damage and magazine size on both weapons. The Holo always had potential because of its optic, which made it easier to aim—now, it's finally fulfilling that potential as a stable, high-damage, full-auto weapon that shines over short-to-medium ranges. Its 200 damage-per-second means that when I've played a little stealthy and caught opponents napping, I've obliterated them before they know what's happening.
It's so good that for certain players it's worth ditching the Deadeye assault rifle. The Holo's damage fall-off makes it struggle at mid-to-long ranges but if you can control sightlines, slip in and out of cover and get to another player, you'll beat the Deadeye in a straight fight.
The Flex got a similar buff and while I still prefer the Holo, the Flex is a more… well, flexible weapon. Its rapid hipfire sprays through builds and when you right click, it fires slower but deals more damage, and is surprisingly accurate at range. Its new larger magazine means you can theoretically deal more than 200 damage per second for more than four seconds before reloading. Lethal.
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
And this is all happening while Epic has added zero-gravity Flowberry items, t...Read more: Full article on www.pcgamer.com
What do you think about this?