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Fortnite Wilds sees Drum Shotgun and Combat SMG finally return

Epic Games' new Fortnite update is finally here for PS5, Xbox, and PC players and with it comes both the devastating Drum Shotgun and cruel Combat SMG.

Fortnite Wilds Combat SMG Drum Shotgun: an image of a female battle royale skin in a jungle

Epic Games has a lot of Fortnite content in the vault at this stage in the game’s life, but that doesn’t mean all of it should stay there. Whether you’re a fan of these weapons or not, the Fortnite Wilds update is bringing back both the Drum Shotgun and the Combat SMG – alongside some deadly new weapons – in Chapter 4 Season 3. If you weren’t sure whether this was the best battle royale game out there already, we think this update might change your mind.

Yes, that’s right, Fortnite Wilds is finally here and with it comes the return of two weapons that dominate this battle royale’s close-quarters combat: the Drum Shotgun and the Combat SMG. A fast-firing, fully-automatic shotgun, the Drum Shotgun really is a fantastic way for Fortnite players to push on their enemies and deal devastating amounts of damage up close.

Similarly, the Combat SMG is also known as one of the faster-firing weapons in its’ class – and, as you may already expect, it can hit hard if you land your shots. It might be a little hard to control recoil-wise, but these two weapons are going to ensure that Fortnite’s close-range meta is alive and well going into the jungle-filled Chapter 4 Season 3.

However, there’s also some new weapons to talk about – which, with any luck, will balance things out a bit. As explained by this Fortnite blog post, players will be able to take advantage of a Thermal DMR (which is exactly what you think it is), a Flapjack Rifle (which is a disk cartridge-based light machine gun), and a Kinetic Boomerang. Dealing 60 damage to enemies hit, according to Forntite content creator ‘HYPEX‘, this weapon has “target homing” and two shots that replenish themselves over a 20-second period.

So, while it doesn’t sound too over-powered on paper, it could be used to finish off weakened enemies quite effectively – depending on the strength of the homing features it’s going to have.

Alongisde the Optimus Prime skin release date, Fortnite is also introducing the Cybertron Cannon. This larger than life weapon is going to “launch a powerful, quick, and explsoive projectile” at enemies – which seems to be able to “vaporize” them, according to ‘GMatrixGames‘. We don’t know about you, but that sounds like a lot of fun.

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If you’re worried your favorite weapon from the last season is missing, you’ll be pleased to know that the following firearms have made the jump. We know it isn’t all of them, but there’s going to be a decent selection for now – and we fully expect Epic Games to add more later.

  • Havoc Pump Shotgun
  • Maven Auto Shotgun
  • Havoc Suppressed Assault Rifle
  • Red-Eye Assault Rifle
  • Submachine Gun
  • Tactical Pistol
  • Heavy Sniper Rifle
  • Chug Cannon (Exotic)
  • Heisted Breacher Shotgun (Exotic)
  • Heisted Accelerant Shotgun (Exotic)
  • Heisted Run ‘N’ Gun SMG (Exotic)
  • Shadow Tracker (Exotic)

Is this one of the best free shooting games out there? Without a doubt. Is this update going to make things easier for you in-game? Well, that all depends how good you are under pressure. In Fortnite Wilds, you can grind on vines, ride raports, and slide through mud (to gain speed and camoflage). Epic Games is continuing to build on a brilliant base, but Fortnite isn’t the same game you played six months ago. Hell, it isn’t even the same game you played yesterday! So, knowing the best landing spots on Forntite Island is going to be vital. That, and getting your hands on the biggest, most explosive weapon available.