In the new world of Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 1, there’s an incredible number of new guns to familiarize yourself with, not to mention a number of new throwables and other items. There’s even a new traversal item, which has become a player-expectation for each season launch ever since Fortnite introduced cool stuff like Spider-Man’s Web Swingers and the Shockwave Hammer. Here’s everything you need to know about this season’s new weapons in Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 1.
Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 1 weapons
Epic likes to virtually wipe the slate clean when it comes to new chapters, and that’s certainly the case with regard to the Chapter 5 loot pool. In total, 11 new weapons have been revealed for the launch of the new season and chapter, and if past seasons are any indication, we should expect more to arrive all season long.
First, here’s the list of new guns:
- Hammer Pump Shotgun
- Nemesis AR
- Striker AR
- Thunder Burst SMG
- Hyper SMG
- Reaper Sniper Rifle
- Ranger Pistol
Other new weapons and items
But the firearms themselves are never the complete story for a new season of Fortnite. Perhaps most exciting of all is the Grapple Blade, a new traversal item that doubles as an offensive weapon.
The Grapple Blade behaves like the ODM Gears from the game’s Attack on Titan crossover. With it, you can grapple to a hard surface, then swing in quickly, which is good not just for moving quickly like the Grapple Glove, but also to perform close-range melee damage like the Kinetic Blade. You’ll find the Grapple Blade in loot drops all across the island, and there may well be a Mythic version, as well. We’ll be looking for that today ourselves.
Another new addition is the Ballistic Shield, which works in Fortnite much like it does in games like Rainbow Six Siege or Call of Duty. With the shield equipped, you’ll have sturdy front-facing protection that can’t be destroyed–though if it takes enough damage in quick succession, you’ll drop it momentarily. With it, you can only use a pistol to fire over the shield, so there’s a trade-off between protection and firepower to be mindful of.
A new throwable item, Cluster Clingers, arrives with Chapter 5, too. Think of it as a sticky cluster grenade; you can attach it to a surface by throwing it, then watch as it explodes into multiple, smaller explosions.
Weapon mods
As rumored, the new season also adds weapon mods. This works both as a player customization feature and they’re found abundantly in the wild. That’s because nearly every gun in the game now equips some number of mods, but to build the exact gun of your choosing, you’ll want to track down Mod Benches, much like Upgrade Benches, across the island.
Some mods may increase mag capacity, reduce recoil, or perform other buffs. Note that not every mod will work with every weapon, and the weapons sold by NPCs around the island and those found in vending machines can’t be modded.
Depending on the rarity of your weapon, here’s what to expect for available mod slots:
- Uncommon (green) guns – one mod
- Rare (blue) guns – two mods
- Epic (purple) guns – three mods
- Legendary (orange) guns – four mods
Check out our complete primer on the new update for everything new in Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 1.
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