I land at Frigid Fortress with the storm ticking closer and a stranger’s footsteps echoing behind me. My teammate yells about a zipline while I pry a scoped rifle from a crate and feel the match tilt. You know that split-second when a single find changes everything.
I’ve spent more hours than I’ll admit fiddling with loadouts so you don’t have to guess what matters. I’ll point out what’s new, what’s back, and the handful of items that will actually change how you play. Read fast — the island moves quicker than patch notes on Twitter.
On a crowded drop you’ll see fights over the same chest spots. Fortnite Chapter 7, season 2 loot pool
The Showdown theme brings a big refresh to the island’s loot roster from Epic Games’ latest patch notes. You’ll find brand-new weapons, returning favorites, and a handful of Showdown-only gear dropped from event bosses. I’ll mark out the differences so you can decide what to chase on sight.
What new weapons are in Chapter 7, season 2?
Here’s everything Epic added this season. Try them in creative mode or watch a Twitch streamer break them first, but don’t sleep on testing a few yourself — the meta often reveals itself in a single sweaty match.
- Vector 7 DMR – A high-damage rifle with a scope and a slower fire rate. Built for precision at range; rewards steady aim and patience.
- Chaos Reloader Shotgun – Single-shot, heavy-hitting close-range shotgun. It reloads one shell at a time, which makes every shot feel like a commitment.
- Bouncing Boomstick – A dynamite variant that explodes on each bounce; great for flushing enemies from awkward cover.
- Overdrive Grenade – Throw it on yourself or a teammate to boost movement, reload speed, and rate of fire for a short burst.
- Skyline Deployer – A portable zipline you can fire toward a spot and travel along automatically. Any player can break it once it’s up.
- Ice King’s Gauntlets (available in the Showdown) – Dropped by the Ice King at Frigid Fortress. Primary fire shoots ice projectiles; secondary ability creates an ice storm that deals ongoing damage in an area.
- The Foundation’s Rift Rifle (Exotic Vector 7 DMR, available in the Showdown) – Fires to create a Rift at the targeted spot, offering quick reposition options tied to The Foundation.
- Seven Cluster Cannon (available in the Showdown) – After a short delay, it releases multiple explosive shots for high-impact bursts in fights.
- Seven Power Gloves (available in the Showdown) – Grant enhanced mobility and two combat moves: a dash punch (primary) and an uppercut (secondary).
- Slapperoni Pizza (available in the Showdown) – Placeable healing item: toss a pizza, break slices to heal and gain the Slap effect for allies who eat.
When a veteran spots a returned rifle, they grin. All unvaulted weapons and loot in Fortnite Chapter 7, season 2
Epic pulled several old favorites back into the pool, which shifts what you can expect from chests and supply drops midgame. If you mastered any of these before, they’ll feel familiar — and dangerous again.
- Combat Assault Rifle
- Nemesis AR
- Chapter 1 Pistol
- Thunder Burst SMG
- Iron Pump Shotgun
- Twin Hammer Shotguns
- Twin Mag SMG
- Mythic Goldfish
- FlowBerry Mist Grenade
- Port-A-Bunker (Zero Build only)
- Shield Bubble Jr. (Zero Build only)
- Foundation-inspired versions of Chapter Six, season two exotics
How do I get Ice King’s Gauntlets?
Head to Frigid Fortress during the Showdown. The Ice King drops the gauntlets on defeat — bring a team or heavy burst to prevent being steamrolled while you try to collect them. Watch footage on YouTube or check Epic’s event notes for spawn windows if timing matters for your missions.
Which old weapons returned this season and matter for ranked play?
Nemesis AR and the Combat Assault Rifle are the two that change tempo the most; they force you to adjust engagement range. Streamers on Twitch and creators on YouTube are already testing loadouts — follow a few who play your style to shortcut the experimentation phase.
Try the new toys against bots in Creative, then test them in a few solos before you take them into competitive modes. My rule: if an item wins you one clutch fight, it’s worth a second look. Your inventory should feel like a toolbelt and not a junk drawer; the right pick can flip a round in seconds like a coin toss caught in midair.
Patch changes will keep rolling out from Epic, and the community on Reddit and Moyens I/O will nitpick every tweak. Keep an eye on patch notes and the most-watched creators to see which weapons actually survive the meta — because when the island shifts, you’ll want to arrive with purpose.
Which new or returned item do you think will define this season’s playstyle and why?