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Image via Epic Games

Fortnite players found a good use for the Burst SMG

It almost feels like a broken interaction.
This article is over 5 years old and may contain outdated information

The new Burst SMG looks like a good Fortnite: Battle Royale weapon, and that’s it. There’s nothing special about it, except that its burst fires four shots instead of the usual three of previous burst weapons.

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But players have already found a way of making this fourth shot count a lot. There’s a situation in which someone using the Burst SMG can make a player hiding behind a wall take apparently unavoidable damage.

When an opponent is hiding behind a wall, you must hit it with a pickaxe and reduce its health the most you can. After this, aim for the head of the hiding opponent and fire with your Burst SMG, and at least one shot should hit them if your aim is accurate. This happens because the first shots of the burst destroy the wall, while the last ones fire faster than your opponent can build, even if they have the automatic building with turbo build on.

Players with really low ping would be able to protect themselves against this, though. Since ping is the latency between a player’s input and the game’s response to it, if that latency is low enough to make the game recognize your turbo build before the last shot goes through the wall, you’ll be safe. But latency is volatile, and having it low enough all the time is unlikely. You will be vulnerable to that in some cases.

You can avoid getting hit by an enemy doing this, though. First, moving while turbo building will make you harder to hit. But also, you can build stairs behind your wall so that if your opponent burst through it, the last shots will hit the stairs instead.

Despite this looking like an exploit, nothing seems wrong about it. The delay between the bullets from the burst and the turbo building are both intrinsic to how the game is supposed to work, so they aren’t a bug or issue. You should be safe to try it against your opponents without running the risk of being banned or suspended.

If you’re the victim, though, just build. More.


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Author
Image of Bhernardo Viana
Bhernardo Viana
Bhernardo is senior guides writer and strategist at Dot Esports. He's been working in the gaming industry for over 9 years, with works published on Destructoid, Prima Games, ESPN, and more. A fan of Pokémon since 6 years old and an avid Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch player. Now writing strategy and quests guides for several mobile and PC titles.