Overpowered Rail Gun and Recon Scanner removed from Fortnite competitive

Epic Games made a surprise on 16th June 2021, as they announced that the Rail Gun and Recon Scanner would be removed entirely from Fortnite competitive play. This followed almost a week of public outcry by the Fortnite community; including those from prominent figureheads, such as SypherPK, which ultimately compelled Epic Games to take action.

In a previous article, we explained the ridiculousness of the Rail Gun, citing SypherPK saying that the gun was “one of the most-broken long-range weapons in Fortnite Season 7”.  He further added that it was “not an exaggeration” and that the gun was “absolutely insane”.

We have removed the Rail Gun and the Recon Scanner from competitive playlists.

We'll let you know if there are additional updates to Competitive gameplay.

— Fortnite Status (@FortniteStatus) June 15, 2021

We couldn’t agree more, however, we certainly didn’t expect Epic to straight-up clap them from competitive matchmaking; but rather, nerf the weapon out of existence. 

Why are the Fortnite Rail Gun & Recon Scanner so OP?

Rail Guns are new “floor loot” which means that anyone can get their hands on one. What makes them particularly powerful is that they can hit for maximum damage through walls. This means that players can effectively one-shot their enemies upon landing a headset, through fully built structures.

(Picture: SypherPK)

Combined with the Recon Scanner, which pings nearby players within a defined range, the Rail Gun is a disgustingly powerful weapon to play with (and play against).

In case you don’t agree, take a look at this video by SypherPK:

To be fair, Epic Games made the right move removing these items from competitive matchmaking. This still allows casual players to enjoy the overpowered nature of the item combinations in public lobbies and in the Arena.

Epic listens to the Fortnite community

It’s also worth mentioning that Epic Games have been more attentive to public opinion as of late, after removing Flying Saucers from competitive matchmaking, as well.

(Picture: Epic Games)

They have also made loot pool adjustments and even removed certain abilities and other items in previous patches. Ultimately, these changes only serve to improve the quality of the game and conserve the integrity of competitive matches.

What do you think of these changes? Do you agree that the Rail Gun and Recon Scanner are overpowered? Was this the right call by Epic Games? Let us know what you think on Twitter by tweeting us at @newsginx and @ginxtv. 

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