Fortnite Datamine Reveals Powerful New Weapon

Fortnite players with a preference for close-ranged combat will soon be able to upgrade their arsenals with a new weapon, recent leaks have revealed.

Prolific data miner HYPEX has been digging around in the battle royale’s game files yet again as of late and has made a rather interesting discovery indeed. Files pertaining to what appears to be a never-before-seen shotgun are among some of the user’s more noteworthy finds, but sadly, as of writing, no images for the mysterious boomstick are available. What we do have, however, is what appears to be the upcoming addition’s name.

Labelled as “Shotgun_Charge_Athena,” HYPEX says the associated weapon will be available in all rarities and is listed as having a damage variance of 6.5 to 10.5, though they believe this to be a placeholder rather than finalized figures.

It remains to be seen what shape the final product will take, then, though fans have wasted no time in speculating over the specifics.

The leading theory right now, it seems, is that the name could pertain to the return of fan favourite weapon, the Combat Shotgun. Originally added alongside a limited-time tie-in event commemorating the release of John Wick 3 last year, Epic eventually vaulted the firearm not long after the crossover’s conclusion. Why exactly that is, the developer has never specified and it could simply be a matter of the Combat Shotgun never being intended to be a permanent addition. Chances are, we’ll be privy to more information as the week goes on, as these sorts of teasers usually directly precede an announcement from official channels.

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