3 Weapons you should avoid in Fortnite Battle Royale

Fortnite is known for its constantly evolving loot pool, with weapons being added, vaulted, and reworked almost every season. While some guns go on to become fan-favorites and dominate the meta, others fall flat - frustrating players with poor performance, awkward mechanics, or just being plain ineffective in a firefight.
Here are three weapons that you might want to avoid in your next drop into Fortnite Battle Royale.

Introduced in Chapter 2, Season 6, the Primal Pistol was meant to be an upgrade from the Makeshift Pistol - but it hardly felt like one. With a low damage output of just 36 per shot and a mediocre fire rate of 2.47, the weapon lacked the punch needed to take down even moderately shielded opponents. Its inaccurate aim and small magazine size of 8 meant players were often left vulnerable mid-fight.
In a fast-paced environment like Fortnite, where every second and shot counts, the Primal Pistol simply couldn’t keep up. It’s a weapon that rarely makes an appearance in competitive loadouts, and even casual players tend to drop it as soon as they find something better - usually within seconds of landing.

On paper, a launcher that fires four rockets sounds like a dream. But the Quad Launcher, first introduced in Chapter 1, Season 6, quickly became one of the most controversial weapons in the game.
With 160 damage per rocket and a high structure damage rate of 315, it was great at tearing down builds. However, its real-world effectiveness was undercut by clunky controls, poor accuracy, and spammy gameplay. It encouraged players to rely on brute force rather than skillful engagement.
Competitive players especially disliked the weapon, calling it disruptive to build battles and lacking any need for strategy. After multiple vaults and returns, the Quad Launcher remains one of the most debated weapons in Fortnite’s history and for many, one to avoid.

Introduced during Chapter 2, Season 8, the Sideways Rifle came as part of the cube-invasion storyline and was meant to be a chaotic, high-risk weapon powered up by combat momentum. However, in practice, it often left players frustrated.
Despite its cool sci-fi look and the potential to overheat for faster damage, the rifle was plagued by inconsistency. Its damage output was unreliable, and it lacked the precision and punch of traditional assault rifles. Even fully powered up, many players found it less effective than common ARs or SMG
While Fortnite’s massive weapon roster allows for a variety of playstyles, not every gun deserves a place in your loadout. The Primal Pistol, Quad Launcher, and Explosive Goo Gun are prime examples of weapons that look good in theory but struggle in execution. So next time you're looting up, you might want to leave these behind.