The new Compact SMG might be the best gun in Fortnite: Battle Royale

A lot of players were excited when Epic Games added a new submachine gun to Fortnite: Battle Royale yesterday.

Last week, a new Submachine Gun was added to the game as the Tactical Submachine Gun was retired. This Tactical SMG was the only Epic rarity gun in the weapon class—until July 24.

Related: Fortnite’s 5.1 update celebrates the game’s first birthday and adds the Compact SMG

The new Compact SMG was added to the game in update 5.1, and it’s available in the Epic and Legendary rarities—making it the first Legendary SMG in Fortnite. And golly, is this gun an absolute melt machine.

The Compact SMG is so powerful that it easily could be considered the best gun in Fortnite right now—especially for close-quarters engagements. Obviously other Legendary weapons like the SCAR and Bolt-Action Sniper Rifle are extremely lethal for long-range fights, but the Compact SMG takes things to a whole new level.

This new SMG is so good that it almost makes all other close-range weapons obsolete. It’s the best SMG in its weapon class, and shotguns can’t compete against it. The Compact SMG simply shoots so fast that you’ll be lucky to get two shots off against it.

Not only does this SMG have an extremely fast fire rate, but it also holds 50 bullets in each clip—the most in the weapon class and the same amount as the Drum Gun. This makes the Compact SMG a great non-explosive choice for shooting down enemy structures, and it provides less-skilled players with the luxury of being able to quickly recover if they miss a few shots.

This gun does have some slight drawbacks. Due to its rarity, it’s not very easy to find a Compact SMG in-game. If you are fortunate enough to find one in a chest or just lying around, then count your blessings. Since this is a submachine gun, you won’t exactly be successful in winning long-range engagements with this weapon.

Other than that, there’s not much to complain about with the Compact SMG. When you’re filling up your five available slots in-game, the Compact SMG should undoubtedly be your weapon of choice for any close-range gunfights.

Make sure to jump in as many games as you can and use the Compact SMG as often as possible. You never know if or when Epic Games will nerf this sucker.