Fortnite’s Zapotron Bug Frustrates PC Gamers

The largest problem with Fortnite OG Season 2’s Zapotron has left PC gamers unable to inflict damage with the gun. While Epic Games released a patch, rumors are that the bug continues to occur for some players, with frustration growing among those who can find the rare energy rifle.

The Zapotron has had a past with Fortnite, previously appearing briefly in Season 2017 and being pulled due to balance issues. With the return of the gun in OG Season 2, players were eager to know how the weapon functioned in the contemporary meta. Yet, a well-liked clip on Twitter user Guille_GAG illustrated the issue: even after charging and firing at point-blank, the gun was still able to register zero damage to a stationary target. This finding resulted in mass complaints, as most people believed the weapon would give them a major edge because of its scarcity.

Epic Games acknowledged the bug and said it was fixed in a Fortnite Status post. It appears that a number of players continue to get the glitch. The theory there is that perhaps the bug would be caused by Fortnite’s anti-cheating engine because console gamers aren’t having the same issue. Others consider the charge-up system to fail in some fashion, and the game therefore is unable to maintain proper damage tracking.

Even aside from the bug, the Zapotron’s charge time makes it a difficult weapon to employ. Players anticipating its touted 150 damage output might instead find themselves open in battle. Some have simply not used the gun at all, resorting instead to more dependable guns, even simple pistols, which now one-shot the broken Zapotron.

Considering the sheer number of Fortnite OG’s existing patches, Epic Games can simply disable the Zapotron temporarily until a more permanent solution is implemented. With so many guns and items cycling through the game, its absence might not be felt by the majority of players. Meanwhile, those who experience the bug might consider using more traditional loadouts until Epic resolves the issue permanently.