There’s a new patch for Fortnite, which means lots of changes including plenty of buffs and debuffs for all your favorite weapons. You can check out the Fortnite 5.30 patch notes but we want to highlight and explain one particular change: the Fortnite Double Barrel shotgun buff, which is the first buff this particular shotgun has received.
Fortnite update 5.30 already adds another shotgun buff, the Pump Action Shotgun equip time buff which we’ve detailed here, but that was for a weapon that’s been in Fortnite since the game launched and is much loved. Are things the same for the Double Barrel shotgun, which has only just been released? What is the Fortnite Double Barrel Shotgun Buff, and what does it mean for the game?
What Is The Fortnite Double Barrel Shotgun Buff?
The Double Barrel shotgun was introduced very recently to Fortnite along with patch 5.20, on August 7th, so Epic hasn’t had much time to tinker with it. This is the first change this particular shotgun has received. So the shotgun has a buff now, but what actually is it? Going by the official 5.30 patch notes for Fortnite, the Double Barrel shotgun has had its spread reduced by 15%, which is pretty significant, but notably only while the player is crouching.
What Does The Double Barrel Shotgun Buff Mean For Fortnite?
This new buff for the Double Barrel follows a range of nerfs for the more popular Pump Action Shotgun, and although update 5.30 does add a small boost to that weapon’s equip speed it’s still far slower than it used to be, meaning players can no longer pull the same strategies with it. The Double Barrel shotgun delivers very high damage at close range, and is perhaps meant as an “official” replacement for the ‘double pump shotgun’ trick.
The Double Barrel does however have a far larger spread than other shotguns, giving it a lower critical damage multiplier and making it useless at anything but short range. This particular buff adds a new strategy for the gun’s use by lowering the spread while crouching, and so sacrificing movement speed for a quicker kill. It remains to be seen whether players will make use of this buff, but it’s a welcome improvement, and undoubtedly not the first change the Double Barrel shotgun will receive.
