Fortnite unvaults controversial pistol you either loved or hated

Would you wield it?

Lock On Pistol in a Fortnite background
Image via Epic Games

If you enjoyed decimating enemies with the Lock On pistol in Fortnite, put your smile on, as Epic Games just unvaulted the overpowered weapon after a long period of absence. 

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The Lock On pistol was added back to Fortnite via a small content update in Chapter Five, season one on Jan. 9, and if you’re not among the haters and are excited to test its potential, you can find the weapon as ground loot and in chests across the map.

A Fortnite player looking at a Lock On Pistol found in ground loot
The Lock On is back. Image via u/Aussieman9669 on Reddit

First added to Fortnite in Chapter Four, season two, the Lock On pistol garnered a divisive reputation for its aimbot-like mechanics, leading to Epic removing the gun just a season later. As its name suggests, it literally locks onto a target and tracks them when ADS is enabled. The pistol can only lock onto and track a target within a 50-meter range, but if you do manage to lock a target, your enemy should be toast. 

It goes without saying that the Lock On pistol can be very overpowered against unsuspecting enemies in-range who aren’t aware enough to fire back in time. You can also use it to counter players armed with a Ballistic Shield, but make sure you lock onto the target first and not make the same mistake as this player did. At the end of the day, it’s a pistol, so it’s quite hard to find value against rifles, sub-machine guns, and shotguns in head-on fights. It surely isn’t unbeatable, if that’s what you’re wondering. Furthermore, it’s rare loot with a low spawn rate, so if you’re a Lock On pistol hater, you don’t have too much to worry about. 

Fortnite’s ongoing Chapter Five, season one isn’t exactly in a “balanced” state, with new features like the Ballistic Shield and modded weapons dominating the meta. Now, with the Lock On pistol’s return, games are definitely going to get incredibly competitive and sweaty. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if Epic decides to vault the pistol again.

Author
Image of Sharmila Ganguly
Sharmila Ganguly
Freelance Writer at Dot Esports. An enthusiastic gamer who bumped into the intricacies of video game journalism in 2021 and has been hustling ever since. Obsessed with first-person shooter titles, especially VALORANT. Contact: sharmila@dotesports.com