5 best weapons for Ranked mode in Fortnite

For long-time competitive Fortnite players, the official Ranked mode introduced in May 2023 is the new mountain to climb, complete with separate ranks to progress in both Battle Royale and Zero Build mode.

Solos, duos, and squads can queue up for Ranked Battle Royale, while only Duos can queue up for Ranked in Zero Build, for now. Players will progress their Fortnite ranks with eliminations and high match placements, and earn rewards by completing Ranked Urgent Quests unlocked at the start of each match.

Related: All changes coming in Fortnite’s Ranked mode in v24.40 update

If you’re looking to climb the ranks from lowly Bronze to the global elite that is Unreal rank and unlock new tournaments to compete in via the Compete tab, you’ll need a refresher on the best weapons in the game. At the end of the day, the choice is yours based on preference, but here are some suggestions for the best weapons to use in Ranked.

Best weapons to use in Ranked mode in Fortnite

Maven Auto Shotgun

Shotguns are still king in Fortnite; if you’re returning for the first time in a long time, you will likely meet your end via a shotgun during most of your early games. But use its power for yourself, especially if you find the Maven Auto Shotgun. It’s a nice middle ground between the other two shotguns: more damage than the combat shotgun, and a faster fire rate than the pump shotgun, while outfitted with the very useful auto-firing setting.

Twin Mag SMG

If shotguns aren’t your thing, then the Twin Mag Submachine Gun is your best bet for up-close fights. While it has a smaller magazine size, the twin mag feature means your first and subsequently every other reload is faster. It also has a slightly faster firing rate compared to the default SMG.

Lock On Pistol

It is exactly what it sounds like. The Lock On Pistol is a fast-firing semi-automatic pistol with automatic tracking that kicks in when you aim down sights within 50 meters of an opponent. When the blue circle on your crosshair lights up, you can hit your opponent for four quick shots, with the fourth guaranteed to be a critical hit. Will it instantly kill a fully healthy or shielded opponent? No, but it will soften them up significantly, or finish off a hurt enemy.

Havoc Suppressed Assault Rifle

For medium-ranged fights, the Havoc Suppressed Assault Rifle is your go-to rifle. While it doesn’t deal as much damage as the Red-Eye per shot, it has a superior fire rate and magazine size, plus pinpoint accuracy. Most importantly, as a suppressed weapon, firing it doesn’t create a red blip on the enemy compass.

Copra DMR

The powerful damage from a single Heavy Sniper shot is great against unshielded or low-shielded opponents, but it can’t drop a fully shielded opponent without a headshot, and it’s just so cumbersome and slow. The Cobra DMR is a splendid long-range option, dealing around 40 damage per shot at a good fire rate with a valuable 20 magazine size.