Best weapons in Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 1: Ultimate gun tier list

With a reworked loot pool and a fresh set of guns, Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 1 has a new lineup of best weapons. Now that the dust has settled on the seasonal update, a Fortnite guns tier list has formed.

Chapter 4 Season 1 of Epic Games’ hit battle royale Fortnite introduced loads of changes to the Island, not least the map itself, but the biggest update is the loot pool, with lots of new and unvaulted weapons available to add to your loadout.

The powerful DMR, with its long-distance sight and fast-firing abilities, has returned to the top of the rankings, while those of you who want something a little more explosive will be pleased to know that the Rocket Launcher is still around.

It’s safe to say that Chapter 4 Season 1 has switched things up. It’s left many players scrambling to figure out which weapons are the best – and which ones are worst. We’re here to help with our Fortnite guns tier list.

Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 1 best weapons ranked

These are the best weapons currently available to use in Fortnite Chapter 4:

• DMR
• Shockwave Hammer
• Twin Mag SMG
• Assault Rifle
• Red-Eye Assault Rifle
• Ex-Caliber Rifle
• Rocket Launcher

Our ranking has been formed by taking into account stats, community feedback, and our own in-game experiences with these Fortnite guns since Chapter 4 Season 1 launched in December 2022.

Below, you’ll find each weapon separated into tiers, as well as stats and a description of how well they all perform. The S Tier represents the best in class, while the C Tier should probably be avoided.

All of the stats included are based on the highest-rarity versions available right now.

Fortnite S Tier Weapons

With the lack of a proper sniper, the standard DMR reclaims its place at the top of our Fortnite guns tier list in Chapter 4. A brand new entry is the Shockwave Hammer, which should be a permanent addition to your loadout thanks to its ability to propel you across the map and dish out some huge melee damage.

If you’re looking for close-range damage, the Twin Mag SMG is your best option with a huge 260 DPS and fast reload time. Finally, we couldn’t round off our S Tier without the Assault Rifle, a classic weapon that’s the perfect option for mid-range combat – especially in its highest rarity.

Fortnite A Tier Weapons

While we’re a little sad that the MK-Seven Assault Rifle is gone, the Red-Eye Assault Rifle has arrived to take its place with a red-dot sight that makes landing those headshots even easier. It’s almost as good as the MK-Seven and will go a long way in helping you snatch that Victory Crown.

The Ex-Caliber Rifle is the most unusual weapon this season, firing swords that embed themselves in opponents before exploding. It’s tricky to master but potentially lethal. The Rocket Launcher is another slow and steady weapon that’s slightly easier to use and is a great option for destroying structures.

Once again, Fortnite surprises us by delivering a pistol that we actually want to use: The Tactical Pistol. This one functions more like an SMG than a pistol and is a brilliant option for close-range combat, especially as many other players will pay it dust because it’s a pistol.

Fortnite B Tier Weapons

The Machine SMG (formerly known as the Machine Pistol) has returned. It’s certainly not the best SMG we’ve ever seen in Fortnite, but it’s incredibly fast-firing and worth picking up if it’s the only one you can find at the start of a match.

Unfortunately, things aren’t so great when it comes to shotguns this season. The Thunder Shotgun is the best of a bad bunch, offering some huge damage potential by shooting two rounds at a time, but it’s slow to use and will leave you very vulnerable if you don’t land those shots.

The Burst Assault Rifle has also returned via a mid-season update. While we’ve never been a fan of this weapon (we’d much rather use a standard Assault Rifle for mid-range combat and a DMR for long-range combat), we know that some players perform really well with it, so it lands in the B Tier.

We feel kind of the same about the Tactical Assault Rifle: It’s not a bad weapon, but we would never prioritize it over a standard Assault Rifle or a Red-Eye Assault Rifle.

Fortnite C Tier Weapons

The Maven Auto Shotgun’s stats may look good on paper and it’s certainly a faster-firing option, it just doesn’t have the power that the Thunder possesses. Meanwhile, the Combat Shotgun is made for longer-range combat than other shotguns, but at that point, you may as well use an Assault Rifle.

What about Fortnite’s Bows?

Bows made a surprise comeback during Chapter 4: Season 1, but while they’re fun to use and provide a range of unique effects like fire damage and stink clouds, we would never recommend using them.

They tend to be quite slow to use and ammo isn’t always easy to find, which makes them a good choice for a surprise attack but not great when your opponents are already fighting back.

As always, this ranking could end up shifting around as Epic Games rolls out Fortnite patch updates with new weapons and old classics throughout the season. But for now, this is how the state of play looks.

We’ll be sure to update this ranking when more weapons get vaulted or unvaulted as Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 1 progresses, so check back soon to make sure you’re using the very best weapons on offer.

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That’s it for our Chapter 4 weapons tier list. The addition of new Fortnite guns has left things looking quite different from previous seasons, and there are more to come as the season progresses.

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