What is a melee weapon in Fortnite?

If you’re wondering what counts as a melee weapon in Fortnite or trying to figure out how to deal melee damage to opponents, we’ve got all the answers you need right here. 

Epic Games’ wildly popular battle royale Fortnite has become one of the most successful games in the world since its release in 2017 – and plenty of seasonal updates and exciting weapons have been added since then.

Still, you might not have figured out how to perform one of the basic actions: Deal melee damage. It’s not something that’s really encouraged when there are so many powerful weapons and items to choose from around the island.

If you’re struggling to complete challenges like the recent Geralt of Rivia quest to deal melee weapon damage to opponents, we’ve got a quick and easy guide on how to do exactly that below.

---

Contents

• What is a melee weapon?
• How to deal melee damage
• How much damage does the Pickaxe do?

---

What is a melee weapon in Fortnite?

The primary melee weapon in Fortnite is your trusty Pickaxe! This means you’ll begin every match with a melee weapon at your fingertips, so completing any melee quests should actually be quite easy if you can get close enough to your opponents.

There is another melee weapon in Fortnite Chapter 4: Season 1, and that’s the Shockwave Hammer. It will be much easier to deal damage with this weapon than the Pickaxe, so we’d recommend going down this route for any quests you have.

There have been other melee weapons in Fortnite in the past, such as the limited-edition Lightsaber and the Sideways Scythe weapon. Players were even able to use Darth Vader’s Lightsaber at one point!

How to deal melee damage in Fortnite

The answer to this question is pretty simple: Instead of using weapons like Assault Rifles or throwable items like Grenades, you’ll need to utilize your trusty pickaxe to deal melee damage to other players.

Players will normally use their pickaxe for farming wood, stone, and metal in Fortnite. These materials are used in building to create walls, roofs, and stairs that help defend against enemy fire and aid traversal.

But the pickaxe can also be used to deal damage to enemies when you don’t have any weapons in your arsenal. This normally only happens early on in the game when players land on The Island with no items.

Simply equip your pickaxe of choice and swing away to deal melee damage to your opponents.

How much damage does the pickaxe do in Fortnite?

There’s a reason most Fortnite players don’t use the pickaxe to deal damage to their opponents. Simply put, it’s a terrible offensive option that leaves you open to enemy fire as you have to get very close for it to work.

It’s also not very powerful, with only 20 damage dealt per hit. It’s unlikely that you’ll land enough hits with a pickaxe to defeat an enemy player before they retaliate with a much stronger weapon or run away.

Still, if it’s your only option, it’s certainly better than nothing. Besides, you might need to use the pickaxe to complete some of those weekly challenges to earn XP and max out your Battle Pass.

---

For the latest news, make sure you visit our dedicated Fortnite hub and check out some more guides below:

Best landing spots | All Fortnite weekly challenges | How to play Fortnite Split Screen | Fortnite Gun Game codes | How to level up fast in Fortnite | How to get V-Bucks in Fortnite | Best Fortnite Deathrun codes for Creative mode | How to Tactical Sprint in Fortnite | Rarest skins in Fortnite | Best Fortnite skins ever