Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 2 Weapon Tier List: Every Gun Ranked

Chapter 7 Season 2 hit Fortnite with one of the most aggressive loot pool shakeups in recent memory. Shotguns got a major buff, burst weapons are suddenly worth carrying, and the meta has shifted hard toward raw, close-range firepower. Whether you just dropped from the Battle Bus or you're deep into your ranked grind, knowing which weapons to prioritize can be the difference between a Victory Royale and an early lobby screen.

Iron Pump Shotgun stats

Full weapon tier list at a glance

Before breaking down each weapon in detail, here's every gun in Chapter 7 Season 2 ranked by tier, based on community testing and current meta performance documented by Beebom:

What is the best meta loadout in Chapter 7 Season 2?

The current meta rewards aggressive, mobile play. Here's the loadout that performs best across both Battle Royale and Zero Build, according to testing documented by Beebom:

• Combat Assault Rifle (primary damage dealer at close-to-medium range)
• Iron Pump Shotgun (close-range burst damage)
• Thunder Burst SMG (box-breaking and pressure tool)
• Skyline Deployer (mobility and glider redeploy)
• Chug Jug / Chug Splashes / Slapperoni Pizza (healing flex slot)

The Combat AR handles the bulk of your DPS work with a fire rate that sits closer to an SMG than a traditional rifle. The Iron Pump covers your close-range power shots, and the Thunder Burst SMG bridges the gap when you need to crack a box fast. The Skyline Deployer is the glue that holds it together, letting you reposition or disengage when the fight turns against you.

For more weapon combinations built around the current season's arsenal, check out our Fortnite Chapter 7 new weapons list and meta loadouts guide.

S-tier weapons: what should you always pick up?

Ice King Gauntlets

The Ice King Gauntlets are a Mythic item dropped by the Ice King boss. The real value here isn't the Ice Attack shards but the Ice Storm ability, which charges a large blast of ice that obscures enemy vision and deals AoE chip damage through builds at 5 damage per second. The Ice Bomb hits structures for 150 damage on impact and lasts 5 seconds, with a 15-second recharge time. Against players holding high ground in a box, that combination forces a reposition almost every time.

Iron Pump Shotgun

The Iron Pump Shotgun is the closest thing Chapter 7 has to the classic Chapter 1 pump, and it's still the best shotgun in the loot pool. At Legendary rarity, it hits 111 body damage, 202 headshot damage (1.82x multiplier), and carries a DPS of 88.8 with a magazine size of 5. The fire rate is 0.8, so you're committing to a slower rhythm, but the payoff per shot is hard to argue with. FNCS pros have been running this weapon consistently, which tells you everything about where it stands competitively.

Cube Rifle

The Cube Rifle is the most mechanically distinct weapon Epic has added in a while. It fires exploding mini-Kevin projectiles using its secondary fire mode, which you can then manually detonate with the primary fire for 125 damage. Let them explode on their own and you're looking at 70 damage. Against structures, a manual detonation hits for 250, making it the best anti-build weapon in the current pool. At Legendary, it posts a DPS of 150 with a 21-round magazine and 2.8-second reload. The dual-mode design rewards players who can manage both fire inputs cleanly.

Thunder Burst SMG

Burst-fire SMGs rarely earn a top spot on any Fortnite tier list, but the Thunder Burst SMG is an exception. Its DPS of 202.5 at Legendary is almost identical to the Combat AR, and its 33-round magazine means you can sustain pressure on an enemy's wall long enough to break through. Body damage sits at 30 per burst with a 1.75x headshot multiplier. The best use case is box-breaking: maintain pressure on an enemy's wall and follow up with the Iron Pump the moment you're inside.

Super Shredder

The Super Shredder returned to the loot pool during Rivalries Act 2, and it's earned its S-tier placement. Originally from Save the World, this shotgun-sniper hybrid hits 89 damage at base with a 3.25x headshot multiplier, meaning a clean headshot lands at 289 damage. At close range it behaves like a Tactical Shotgun. At medium range it becomes a marksman's tool. The 6.03-second reload is the only real drawback, so you need a reliable secondary for the gap between shots.

A-tier weapons: strong picks worth building around

Combat Assault Rifle

The Combat Assault Rifle is the best AR in the season. Its fire rate of 8.8 and DPS of 202.4 at Legendary make it feel more like an SMG, which is exactly why it works so well at close-to-medium range. Damage per shot is only 23, but the time-to-kill is short enough that it doesn't matter. The tradeoffs are real: recoil is aggressive when you hold the trigger, and damage drop-off makes it a poor choice past medium range. Stay in its effective range and it's a laser.

Chaos Reloader Shotgun

The Chaos Reloader Shotgun carries a single round in the chamber but hits for 157 body damage and 175 headshot damage at Legendary, with a DPS of 184. The mechanic that separates it from other shotguns is its auto-reload while holstered. In a build fight, you fire, swap to another weapon, reposition, and come back to a loaded chamber. That cycle rewards players who can manage their inventory under pressure. The Mythic variant, the Dark Voyager's Obliterator, upgrades the base weapon with two shots and higher damage, making it the single most powerful Mythic in the season.

Reforged Infinity Blade

The Reforged Infinity Blade is a reworked version of the original, now balanced for the current season while keeping its signature power. Basic swings deal 90 damage, the Leap Attack and Air Slam both hit for 110, and each elimination grants 50 effective health through siphon. Passive regen ticks at 1 health/shield per second. The Leap Attack covers ground fast and breaks structures on landing, making it ideal for third-partying an ongoing fight. It now takes only two inventory slots, which means you can carry meaningful backup weapons alongside it. For full details on acquiring and mastering it, our Reforged Infinity Blade location and abilities guide covers everything you need.

Vector 7 DMR

The Vector 7 DMR is the only marksman rifle in the Chapter 7 Season 2 loot pool and the only projectile weapon in the entire arsenal. At Legendary, it deals 75 body damage and 131.25 headshot damage (1.75x multiplier) with a DPS of 108.75 and a 7-round magazine. The built-in scope gives it genuine long-range utility that nothing else in the pool can match. The catch is that its projectile nature means you need to lead shots at distance, and it struggles at medium range against players with ARs or the Thunder Burst SMG.

Seven Power Gloves

The Seven Power Gloves function as the season's only melee weapon, effectively replacing the Nitro Fists from Chapter 5 Season 3 with a faster, more mobile version. At Epic rarity, the Punch deals 50 damage, the Uppercut hits for 70, and the Ground Pound lands at 40. Recharge time is 11 seconds with an ammo reserve of 20. The directional movement mechanic is its biggest asset, letting you chase down low-health targets or gain height quickly. The Uppercut Dash pairs well with the Skyline Deployer for a makeshift launchpad effect. Controller players will find the directional mechanic harder to manage, which is worth factoring into your loadout decisions.

B-tier weapons: situational but not useless

The Nemesis AR is reliable but its low DPS and fire rate keep it from competing with the Combat AR or Cube Rifle. The Twin Mag SMG has a unique dual-magazine mechanic but is too underpowered at common and uncommon rarities to be worth picking up early. Only at Epic or Legendary does it become viable.

The Twin Hammer Shotguns offer a faster fire rate than the Iron Pump but cap out at lower maximum damage, which is a bad trade in a meta that rewards burst damage. The Foundation's Rift Rifle has a fun traversal mechanic but its charge-up time makes it nearly unusable when an opponent is applying constant pressure.

Combat AR legendary stats

C-tier weapons: leave these on the ground

The Hammer Revolver has impressive damage on paper but only delivers if you're landing consistent headshots, which isn't a realistic ask in fast-paced fights. The standard Pistol simply doesn't compete against anything else in the pool. The Seven Cluster Cannon can catch someone off guard, but getting all its pellets to connect in a real one-on-one fight is too unreliable to justify the inventory slot.

What about Exotic and Rift Anomaly weapons?

The Stabilize the Rift Anomaly mechanic adds a separate loot layer. Taking down Dark Voyager drones around the anomaly rewards you with one random weapon from a pool that includes the Havoc Pump Shotgun, Overclocked Pulse Rifle, O.X.R. Rifle, Wrecker Revolver, Sticky Grenade Launcher, Thunderbolt of Zeus, Boom Sniper Rifle, and their Eradicator variants. You don't get to choose, but if you land the Havoc Pump Shotgun or Overclocked Pulse Rifle, keep them.

Among the five Exotic weapons currently available, the Hoprock Cube Rifle leads the pack. Its constant low-gravity effect makes you effectively immune to fall damage while also packing explosive firepower. The Eradicator Marksman Wrecker Revolver pairs exceptionally well with the Super Shredder, acting as a shotgun-marksman pistol hybrid. The Eradicator O.X.R. Rifle scales up in damage as you land consecutive shots, rewarding accurate players. The Foundation's Rift Rifle and Boom Sniper Rifle both have niche appeal but fall short in direct combat.

Weapon category breakdowns

Best assault rifles

Best SMGs

Best shotguns

For a deeper look at how every weapon in the pool stacks up with full stats, our Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 2 all new and vaulted weapons breakdown covers the complete picture including what got vaulted this season.

How often does the meta change in Fortnite?

According to the source documentation, Epic Games typically drops balance updates on a roughly two-week cycle. That means weapon rankings can shift quickly, so check back after each patch. The current tier list reflects the state of the loot pool as of early May 2026.

For the full range of strategies, boss weapon locations, and loadout guides for Chapter 7 Season 2, browse our complete Fortnite strategy guides collection to stay ahead of every meta shift.