How to get the new Recycler weapon in Fortnite


The 16.10 update was released last week and was the first update of Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 6.

Despite the 16.20 update not being until next week, Epic Games has decided to treat us early with a brand new weapon, the Recycler.

Here is where to find it, what it does, and how to use it.

How to Get The Recycler

The Recycler is a brand new weapon that has been added to Fortnite.

It works a little bit different to normal weapons but we will get into that a bit later.

The weapon looks similar to the old Proximity Grenade Launcher but sounds like a chainsaw.

Fortnite Season 6 The Recycler Floor Loot
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NEW: The Recycler was added to the game today

So far I have only found it as floor loot, but it very well could be available in Chests and Supply Drops as well.

I have also only seen it as Rare (blue) rarity, it is possible it can be founded at a higher rarity or upgraded, but I can't confirm that based on my own experiences with the weapon so far.

The Ammo

This weapon works a little bit different to other weapons in the game.

Normally you find ammo such as bullets, rockets, or arrows, but this time the environment is your weapon.

The chainsaw sound I mentioned earlier is actually a vacuum ticking over.

Fortnite Season 6 The Recycler Suction
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UNIQUE: The environment is the ammo

To gain ammo for the weapon you need to hold the aim button and suck the environment, such as rocks and trees, into the weapon to turn them into ammo.

The Recycler can only hold three rounds so this is something you would need to do often.

The Damage

The Recycler deals 75 damage so not too bad.

One downside I did notice is, it doesn't act like a Grenade Launcher or Proximity Grenade Launcher which have an area the explosion can deal damage in.

Fortnite Season 6 The Recycler Fire
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ACCEPTABLE: The Recycler has decent damage output but needs accuracy

Instead, it operates more like a Bow where you need to actually hit the opponent to deal damage, this makes it less appealing and, at least right now, you might as well carry a Grenade Launcher instead.

So Is It Any Good?

It is really great to see new weapons come to the game, especially something that has that Fortnite vibe about it.

In the past, we've seen some crazy and unique weapons that fit the feel of the game, such as the Junk Rift.

But is it any good? Kind of, but not really.

Fortnite Season 6 The Recycler Aim
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DISAPPOINTING: The gun is a great concept, but likely won't be popular

The damage output is good, it would just be better if it acted more like a Grenade Launcher and didn't need to be as accurate as a Bow, you could just carry a Bow and do similar damage and the ability to carry 30 arrows.

Ammo is a big factor too, while the environment makes it so your ammo is almost endless, it takes a while to suck up the environment and gain more ammo, it isn't something you could quickly do mid-fight to be able to fire another shot.

Overall, it seems fun to mess about with but I can see it being a weapon that people will only carry to fill a slot, rather than dropping a weapon specifically for it.

Unless someone like SypherPK discovers some crazy game-changing meta with it.

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