The Ex-Caliber rifle is no more overpowered than the rest of the weapons this season.

The Ex-Caliber Rifle isn’t nearly as overpowered as some claim.

One of the biggest issues when it comes to Fortnite is often time the unbalanced weapons that the game deploys. They seem great in concept and then in execution, they’re a complete mess. Sometimes it’s because they’re too weak, too slow, too fast, or too powerful.

So what makes a bad weapon? Anything that the player pool either stays away from or needs in order to win. When you have a weapon like that, it’s time for a change. That’s the issue many fans have found themselves in with the most recent addition to the weapon’s pool, the Ex-Caliber Rifle.

The Ex-Caliber Rifle is actually a shotgun-like item (it uses shotgun rounds) and has a clip of three swords that can be shot at your enemies. The weapon does damage upon impact, and then a secondary attack when the sword explodes. Depending on the rarity of the weapon, and where you hit someone, the Ex-Caliber Rifle can eliminate someone with one hit.

It’s the double dose of damage that has angered fans, with some calling it overpowered. That said, it’s really not.

The Ex-Caliber Rifle has several drawbacks

The rifle itself has several obvious drawbacks. It’s powerful, yes, but it takes a while for it to load all three shots. That’s one of the big drawbacks. The other is that, shockingly, three shots aren’t great. Especially if you’re mobile. The weapon isn’t all that accurate, not like an actual rifle, and it’s not easy to get a shot to land from a distance.

It’s also possible that you hurt yourself while using it. If you catch a nearby wall, and you don’t move away, the explosion will hurt you.

It’s not the best weapon in the current armory, but it’s not a bad option and it’s certainly not as overpowered as past weapons in the game.