Fortnite: Bows go from great to amazing after buff

The theme for Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 6 is Primal, and featured prominently is one of the world’s first ranged weapons: the Bow. They were already pretty good, but the April 15 balance update makes them amazing.

Fortnite: Bows go from great to amazing after buff

The update saw quite a few weapons being adjusted. Since the Primal Shotgun suffered several nerfs, it’s surprising to see how many weapons got a buff. Most notable among these buffs are a damage and speed increase to all Bows.

With the buffs on, Bows feel even more like snipers than they already did. Removing Snipers in favor of bows was a welcome change of pace, but it seems like Epic Games is returning to form here.

The headshot modifier for Bows have been dramatically increased. Instead of double damage, they now do 2.5x damage. This means that a Rare Mechanical Bow can one-shot an enemy at full health and shields.

Being able to hit the one-shot elimination damage threshold is important. The Mechanical and Primal Bows felt very similar, even though the Mechanical Bow does more damage. With the Mechanical Bow and associated upgrades now the Bows that can snipe an enemy in a single hit, it heavily entices you to make them.

This doesn’t mean that the Primal Bow and its upgrades are bad. The Flame and Stink Bows are still better than the Shockwave and Grenade upgrades the Mechanical gets in terms of utility, and are easier to upgrade into.

Pro tip: arrows don’t need to be charged and will always do maximum damage. Learn more bow and arrow tips and tricks with our complete guide.

In addition to a headshot damage multiplier increase, the arrow speed has been increased. This may be awkward if you’ve gotten used to the slower lead time, but the increased speed is welcome. In my testing, Bows feel snappier and more how I wanted them to feel like at the start of the season.

With this awesome buff to Bows, you’ll want to take care like when Snipers were in the loot rotation. No one likes being taken out in one shot, but it sure feels good when you’re the one taking the shot.