Fortnite Chapter 2 Weapons, Ranked Best to Worst

(Image credit: Epic Games)

Fortnite Chapter 2 is finally here following a black hole that wiped the game out for two days. The game returned with several changes, including a fresh map with new places to land and an updated set of weapons. 

Whether you're a returning player or jumping into Fortnite for the first time, we recommend reading our guide on the best and worst landing spots in the Fortnite Chapter 2 map. Once you've determined where to drop, you'll need to know which weapons to loot. 

Fortnite Chapter 2 weapon colors (rarity) 

First, newcomers to Fortnite will need to familiarize themselves with weapon colors. Each weapon comes in five colors, which determines their rarity and strength (damage, fire rate, magazine size, etc).

Here are the five colors from most to least desirable:

  • Gray - Common
  • Green - Uncommon
  • Blue - Rare
  • Purple - Epic
  • Gold - Legendary

Be careful though, not all weapons are equal. There is more strategy involved than simply replacing more common weapons with rarer ones. Epic Games vaulted --- or removed --- 28 guns and items that were available at the end of Chapter 1. With an entirely new set of weapons at your disposal, we decided to rank them, so you know which guns to loot and which to ignore.

Fortnite Chapter 2 weapon tiers 

Here are the best and worst weapons in Fortnite Chapter 2, ranked in tiers. 

(Image credit: Tiermaker)

 Tier I 

  • Assault Rifle (SCAR) - epic, legendary
  • Burst rifle (AUG) - epic, legendary
  • Pump shotgun - epic, legendary
  • Tactical shotgun - epic, legendary
  • Submachine gun - epic, legendary
  • Bolt-action sniper - epic, legendary

Tier II

  • Assault Rifle (M16) - common, uncommon, rare
  • Pump shotgun - common, uncommon, rare
  • Tactical shotgun - common, uncommon, rare
  • Submachine gun - common, uncommon, rare
  • Sniper rifle - common, uncommon, rare
  • Rocket launcher - epic, legendary
  • Pistol - epic, legendary
  • Grenades - common

Tier III

  • Burst assault rifle - common, uncommon, rare
  • Pistol - common, uncommon, rare
  • Rocket launcher - common, uncommon, rare
  • Bandage bazooka - epic 

Phillip Tracy is the assistant managing editor at Laptop Mag where he reviews laptops, phones and other gadgets while covering the latest industry news. Previously, he was a Senior Writer at Tom's Guide and has also been a tech reporter at the Daily Dot. There, he wrote reviews for a range of gadgets and covered everything from social media trends to cybersecurity. Prior to that, he wrote for RCR Wireless News covering 5G and IoT. When he's not tinkering with devices, you can find Phillip playing video games, reading, traveling or watching soccer.