4 Overpowered Weapons That Were Removed From Games for Being Too Broken

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Video games, particularly competitive ones, rely on something called balance – the idea that all players should have a fair chance. This keeps multiplayer games fun, single-player games challenging, and wins satisfying. However, developers sometimes accidentally create something incredibly powerful that throws the game off balance. These overpowered items can frustrate players, make them laugh, or both! Maintaining balance is crucial, and the gaming community is quick to point out when it’s off.

All game developers have dealt with the consequences of releasing a weapon that’s too strong. While some fix the problem by tweaking numbers, others have had to completely take the weapon out of the game. These weapons were often so unbalanced or caused so many problems that they couldn’t stay. Sometimes, the act of removing them became just as famous as the weapon itself.

4. Infinity Blade (Fortnite)

The Infinity Blade was one of the most controversial items ever added to *Fortnite*. Released in Season 7, this powerful melee weapon gave players a huge health boost, incredible speed, and the ability to inflict massive damage. Players who found it could easily dominate matches, quickly moving around the map and eliminating entire teams – and that’s why so many players disliked it. It was considered extremely unbalanced at first, even destroying player-built structures instantly. There was no effective way to fight against someone wielding the Infinity Blade, and whoever found it essentially became an unstoppable force.

The release of the Infinity Blade caused a huge uproar, and Epic Games quickly removed it – just days later – along with a public apology for its imbalance. Players felt the weapon ruined fair competition and didn’t improve the game. For a short time, Fortnite became a chaotic free-for-all where whoever found the sword dominated, leaving other players at a disadvantage. Even now, the Infinity Blade is remembered as a prime example of how one item can drastically change a game. Luckily, it was removed quickly, so it didn’t cause lasting harm to Fortnite.

3. Telesto Fusion Rifle (Destiny 2)

Telesto, an Exotic fusion rifle in Destiny 2, has consistently been Bungie’s biggest headache. Designed to fire explosive, sticky projectiles, it was plagued with glitches that players quickly learned to exploit. Every time Bungie fixed one issue, another—often worse—would pop up. At one point, a bug allowed Telesto’s shots to unexpectedly activate other game features, like grenade abilities and super energy recharge, letting players use their powerful Super ability constantly. Supers are meant to be incredibly strong, but require a lot of energy to use – Telesto removed that limitation. With a skilled player, Telesto could turn any game activity into an overwhelming display of power.

Telesto, a weapon in *Destiny 2*, caused so many issues that Bungie repeatedly had to take it out of the game. Every time it came back, new ways to cheat or gain unfair advantages would appear, like creating unlimited ammo or dealing endless damage. The community even created memes about it being disabled *again*. While it always returned eventually, Telesto became a legendary joke among players – a weapon so strong and chaotic that it became a famous part of *Destiny 2*’s story.

2. Sawed-Off Shotgun (Gears of War 3)

Man, when *Gears of War 3* came out, the Sawed-Off Shotgun was seriously controversial. It was this incredibly powerful, close-range weapon that could just *annihilate* anyone in a single shot, even if you weren’t right in front of them. Forget cover or trying to keep your distance – it didn’t matter! If someone rounded a corner with that thing, you were pretty much dead before you even knew what happened. It totally changed how *Gears* was played, shifting from tactical shootouts to these instant, up-close kills. Honestly, it felt way too strong and messed with the core gameplay that made the series so great.

The reaction to the Sawed-Off shotgun was swift and negative. Many longtime fans felt it ruined the strategic gameplay that defined the *Gears of War* series. Although it wasn’t completely removed from *Gears of War 3*, Epic Games eventually took it out of later *Gears* games, essentially acknowledging it didn’t fit the game’s tactical style. Despite a few defenders who enjoyed its fast-paced, chaotic nature, the Sawed-Off remains a controversial and infamous weapon in *Gears of War* history.

1. Maelstrom Dual Trigger (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3)

The Call of Duty games often feature weapons that are too strong, and the Lockwood 300 shotgun in *Modern Warfare 3* is a recent example. While already powerful on its own, a special attachment called the Maelstrom Dual Trigger made it incredibly overpowered. This attachment let players fire both barrels of the shotgun simultaneously with extreme accuracy, often instantly defeating even heavily armored opponents. In modes like Warzone, players using this shotgun had a significant advantage, particularly in close-range combat. Even though Warzone typically had slower kill times, the Maelstrom Dual Trigger ignored that balance, making fights less about skill and more about simply pointing and shooting to eliminate enemies.

After many players complained and videos showing its overwhelming power went viral, developers completely removed the attachment from the game. Players quickly nicknamed it the “delete button” because it could end battles instantly with no way to defend against it. Although the Lockwood 300 shotgun is still popular, the attachment’s removal highlights how even minor changes can drastically unbalance a game. Sometimes, the only solution is a complete removal, and that’s what happened in this case.

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2025-10-07 05:11