Our Fortnite Vault List Guide has a complete look at every item, weapon, and gun that has been temporarily removed from the game. We also take a deeper look at why the item or weapon was particularly problematic, and consider the likelihood of some of the items returning to the game in the future.
To help control the flow of the game Epic will periodically add items to the "vault" for various reasons. Either the item was obsolete, served its purpose, doesn't fit thematically with the season, or didn't fit in the game. The Fortnite Vault is where items go to rest, but could potentially return one day in the future!

Fortnite Vault - Removed Items List

Here's a list of the currently vaulted items in Fortnite: Battle Royale. Keep in mind that these items can be brought back into the game at some point, so while they are gone at the moment, don't be surprised to see one or two of these back someday.

Most Recent Additions

Fortnite Chapter 2: Season 2 has now released and added a bunch of new stuff back to the game. Damage Traps, Bolt-Action Sniper Rifles, and some rarities of the Rocket Launcher and Submachine Gun have been added to the vault. Mythic versions of the Minigun, Grappler, Drum Gun, and the Boom Bow have been added. These Mythic weapons are not the same as the normal versions of the weapons, so they are still technically vaulted. You can find the normal Minigun in-game, but it might only drop from the new Henchmen.

Vaulted Guns List

Auto-Sniper Rifle - Vaulted in the 11.0.0 Patch

Boom Bow - Vaulted in the 9.3.0 Patch

The Boom Bow ended up being a pretty powerful weapon, and while it was strong in standard game play, it was very dominant in LTMs like Team Rumble.

Burst SMG - Vaulted in the 10.30 Patch

The Burst SMG was kind of a weird weapon and was pretty unpopular among most players. SMGs are generally used for spamming walls and that is not its strong suit.

Combat Shotgun - Vaulted in the 10.2.2 Hotfix Patch

The popular Combat Shotgun has now hit the vault! It was starting to see an uprising from the player base due to what felt like it being quite a bit overpowered compared to the other options available. It did strong damage, had a fast fire-rate, and could hit from long distance. It pretty much had no weakness, which made it a must have for most players.

Crossbow - Vaulted in the 4.0.0 Patch

The crossbow has been vaulted in the 4.0 patch for Fortnite. This patch brought along Season 4 which came with a lot of big changes to the map. The crossbow was a pretty fringe weapon, only really used as a last ditch option or if you had no other gun available. The hunting rifle is much better, even without a scope due to the headshots being able to kill at any hp + projectiles arriving at their target faster.

Double Barrel Shotgun - Vaulted in the 7.0.0 Patch

An item that was loved and hated. The Double Barrel was extremely strong at very close range and rewarded you for stuffing the barrel into your opponent face and pulling the trigger. It also shot extremely fast, which could deal a ton of damage very quickly. It eventually suffered a nerf, and now in Season 7 has hit the vault.

Drum Gun - Vaulted in the 10.20 Patch

The Drum Gun was an extremely powerful weapon, but was nerfed pretty heavily towards its most recent run in the game.

Drum Shotgun - Vaulted in the 10.2.2 Hotfix Patch

A very spam heavy weapon that could dish out quite a bit of damage to a player if they were unaware you were there. It didn't remain in the game long, but I won't be surprised to see it return in the future.

Dual Pistols - Vaulted in the 9.3.0 Patch

The Dual Pistols have been thrown back into the Vault after a fairly long return to the game. Some players really like these, but the randomness of their fire can be a bit frustrating at times. I'm sure they'll be back in the game at some point.

Flint-Knock Pistol - Vaulted in the 11.0.0 Patch

Hand Cannon - Vaulted in the 11.0.0 Patch

Heavy Shotgun - Vaulted in the 7.3.0 Patch

I'm a bit surprised about this addition to the vault at this time, but I guess it makes sense. Now that the Pump Shotgun has versions in all rarities, the Heavy Shotgun is a bit redundant. However, it was a nice cross between the Pump and Tactical, so it did have a niche area where the gun fit. I'm interested to see the community reaction to this change.

Hunting Rifle - Vaulted in the 9.2.0 Patch

The Hunting Rifle was one of the earliest new weapons added to the game, and it has finally been moved to the vault. I always liked the Hunting Rifle, but it wasn't a super popular weapon. It was good, but not good enough to find a spot in most loadouts. I'm sure we'll see it back in the game at some point.

Infantry Rifle - Vaulted in the 11.0.0 Patch

Light Machine Gun - Vaulted in the 6.0.0 Patch

The Light Machine Gun was always kind of a fringe weapon, but it had its moments when the spam meta was popular and everyone was shredding walls down. One of the issues is that the gun was a bit too similar to the Mini Gun which made a lot more sense in the game.

Revolver - Vaulted in the 11.0.0 Patch

Scoped Revolver - Vaulted in the 9.00 Patch

Not the greatest weapon, but still pretty solid all-around. You weren't exactly excited if this was the only thing you got in the early game, but it was serviceable as a midrange weapon if you didn't have something else.

Semi-Auto Sniper - Vaulted in the 10.00 Patch

Epic has been adding a lot of different snipers to the game, so the semi-auto has been sent back to the vault. It still seemed pretty bad for the small amount of time it had returned to the game.

Six Shooter - Vaulted in the 7.1.0 Content Update

The Six Shooter was basically a worse version of the previously vaulted revolver. Which is sad because the revolver was a pretty bad gun, but at times it shined when you had nothing else and you one shot a freshly spawned player. This one gun, however, didn't even have that capability. It was mostly added as part of the cowboy/zombie theme they had during Fortnitemares, and have overstayed its welcome at this point. Overall, it struggled to fit into the game next to the hand cannon which is the far superior weapon.

Storm Scout Sniper Rifle - Vaulted in the 10.20 Patch

It feels like this didn't last very long in the game, and it was actually quite valuable in more competitive play. We'll see if it comes back in the future, maybe when there are less sniper options available.

Submachine Gun - Vaulted in the 2.5.0 Patch

At one point, there was three different submachine guns in the game. The standard SMG, tactical SMG, and the suppressed SMG. The original SMG was not a whole lot different than the tactical version. The standard SMG had a slightly larger clip and did slightly less damage than the tactical version. This was honestly just a smart move by Epic to reduce confusion and simplify/tighten up the game. If people can barely tell the difference between two items then it's usually best to get rid of one.
Technically there's a Submachine Gun now in the game, but it's not the same as this version.

Tactical Assault Rifle - Vaulted in the 10.00 Patch

This was a pretty good weapon overall, but it was largely outclassed by the Drum Gun and Suppressed SMG.

Thermal Assault Rifle - Vaulted in the 9.00 Patch

I actually quite liked the Thermal Assault Rifle, the heat vision it had while scoped was pretty useful for seeing players that might be standing behind walls that had holes in them. It was also very accurate and packed quite a punch! It was not an often used weapon, but I think it was a bit underrated in its time.

Tactical SMG - Vaulted in the 11.0.0 Patch

Zapotron - "Vaulted" in the 1.6.4 Patch

The Zapotron was a very short lived weapon that existed in Fortnite: Battle Royale. It was quickly removed because Epic didn't feel it fit in with the current state of the game. This must still be the case because it has never returned in any shape or form. Here's how Epic described it in the 1.6.3 patch release:
The Zapotron can be used to fire electric blasts in short bursts, or charged up to release an enormous amount of damage! Fire sparingly, as Cell Ammo is extremely limited. This weapon is only available in Supply Drops.
Keep in mind that the Zapotron was never technically vaulted. The vault as a concept didn't exist at the time, and the weapon was just removed from the game.

Vaulted Explosives & Throwables List

Air Strike - Vaulted in the 10.00 Patch

An interesting concept that wasn't long in the game. It kind of did the job it was made to do, which was put pressure on people in fortified positions, but overall it wasn't too difficult to build through the strike.

Boogie Bomb - Vaulted in the 11.0.0 Patch

BoomBox - Vaulted in the 7.3.0 Content Update

The BoomBox was not a bad item, but it annoyed quite a few people with its existence. It was not long for the game, and I honestly wonder if we will ever see it again.

Bottle Rockets - Vaulted in the 8.01 Patch

These were a short-lived item that you could throw on the ground and have deal some damage to a structure. They were interesting, but largely inconsequential overall.

Chiller Grenade - Vaulted in the 8.00 Patch

Chiller Grenades were more of a theme based addition to the game and made sense during Season 7. Now that we're onto Season 8, these make less sense and have been removed for now.

Clingers - Vaulted in the 9.00 Patch

Love em or hate em, Clingers have been a pretty strong item in the game's meta. They are gone for now, but I'm sure they'll be back again someday.

Dynamite - Vaulted in the 9.3.0 Patch

These stayed in the game a lot longer than I expected. They were kind of more of a flavor item during Season 6 of Fortnite and the Wild West theme it was running with. It turned out to be a fairly solid item, and stayed in the game for quite a while. This is another item I would expect to see back at some point.

Explosive Batarang - Vaulted in the 11.0.0 Patch

Grenade Launcher - Vaulted in the 11.0.0 Patch

Guided Missile - Vaulted in the 6.21 Patch

Back into the vault goes the Guided Missile. I have to say, it's one of my least favorite weapons ever added to the game. In the original version, it forced you to turtle up pretty heavily and slowed the pace of the game to a crawl when someone was launching these from an unknown bunker. When they came back they were a lot weaker, but still not much fun to use.

Junk Rift - Vaulted in the 11.0.0 Patch

Impulse Grenades - Vaulted in the 9.30 Content Update

The Impulse Grenades go out of the game again, but are replaced by the Shockwave Grenades.

Port-a-Fort - Vaulted in the 7.0.0 Patch

The original item that was coveted by players who hate to have to build. The initial reaction to this was pretty funny. A lot of players looked at these as somehow dumbing down the game, but they largely were only somewhat useful in certain situations.

Port-a-Fortress - Vaulted in the 7.20 Content Patch

The humongous structure creating throwable is now in the vault. While this was a useful item, in a game where your inventory is severely limited, it just wasn't good enough to warrant a long term spot. You'd likely see this item in the early game, or in LTM's where players were playing more for fun.

Proximity Launcher - Vaulted in the 10.2.2 Hotfix Patch

Not a super problematic weapon, but a bit annoying when something exists that can seek you out and destroy you if you happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. We'll see if this ever returns, it wasn't a very popular weapon for its stint.

Quad Rocket Launcher - Vaulted in the 7.20 Content Patch

A bit of a controversial item, not widely used by the greater population of players but was equipped quite often in pro scrims when it was found. It was very powerful for destroying structures and getting quick damage onto players.

Shadow Bomb - Vaulted in the 10.00 Patch

Not used that often in regular play, but this grenade was a staple of the competitive meta. It allows for players to move pretty much unscathed during storm rotations in the late game, and could sometimes give you an opportunity to get an elimination.

Shockwave Grenade - Vaulted in the 11.0.0 Patch

Smoke Grenade - Vaulted in the 3.3.0 Patch

This addition to the vault was a bit of a surprise and happened in patch 3.3 on March 15th, 2018. The smoke grenade is a pretty unique item in the game, and while not always useful, had usefulness as a way to escape or confuse an enemy. It wasn't long for the game, so I imagine we'll see it again at some point, or at the very least re-imagined as a slightly different item.
You can make the argument that Stink Bombs are the natural evolution of the Smoke Grenade.

Sneaky Snowman - Vaulted in the 8.00 Patch

These were not in the game for long, but they were a fun little item that I wouldn't be surprised to see again when winter rolls around.

Stink Bomb - Vaulted in the 11.0.0 Patch

Storm Flip - Vaulted in the 10.20 Patch

Vaulted Traps & Placeables List

Bouncer - Vaulted in the 11.0.0 Patch

Ceiling Trap, Spike Trap, & Wall Dynamo - "Vaulted" in the Small Shield Potion Update

Once upon time in Fortnite, there was multiple versions of traps. These included the Ceiling Trap, which obviously would attach to the ceiling. It also included the Wall Dynamo, which would obviously attach to the wall. Finally, there was the Spike Trap which would be attached to the floor. These traps were essentially all combined into the trap we have today which is the Damage Trap.
These are very unlikely to return, the combination of these traps made the design a lot simpler. However, I wouldn't be surprised to see traps that do something other than damage you.

Chiller - Vaulted in the 7.0.0 Patch

This was Epic's foray into a different type of trap. It made some pretty fun clips early on, and allowed you to do some interesting things. You could slap on the ice cube and glide down a hill or down a ramp and propel yourself quickly forward. The problem, however, was they were largely only useful for meme-ing on people. Better players actually made sure to avoid picking them up, because the regular traps that deal damage are just so much better. We'll see if Epic has something else in-store for these, or if they will be gone for good.

Cozy Campfire - Vaulted in the 11.0.0 Patch

Jump Pad (Directional), Jump Pad (Up)

Believe it or not, there were two "jump pads" in the game at one point. One would jump you in the direction you were heading when you hit the pad, and one would jump you upwards. These were eventually removed from the game and combined at a later date to create the Bouncer.

Damage Trap - Vaulted in the 12.00 Patch

Mounted Turret - Vaulted in the 10.00 Patch

Kind of a fringe usage item, but there were times when it could find use.

Poison Dart Trap - Vaulted in the 9.00 Patch

It wasn't too long for this world, but it was a pretty interesting experiment with a different form of damage trap. Now that the Season 8 theme is over, it largely doesn't fit with the futuristic vibe they've brought into Season 9!

Zapper Trap - Vaulted in the 11.0.0 Patch

Vaulted Vehicles List

All Terrain Kart - Vaulted in the 8.00 Patch

With Lazy Links being earthquaked off the map, I guess it was time for the ATK and the actual first real vehicle to be thrown into the vault. These were good for squads and quite fun to use early on, but they were outclassed by the quadcrashers and especially by the X-4 Stormwing. Will these be back? I wouldn't be surprised if they end up back in the game somehow, but there's likely other squad based vehicles to be made in the future.

B.R.U.T.E. Mech - Vaulted in the 11.0.0 Patch

Driftboard - Vaulted in the 11.0.0 Patch

Pirate Cannon - Vaulted in the 9.30 Content Update

This was a leftover from Season 8 and didn't have as much use in the game now that they had limited spawns and a lot of the pirate locations got removed.

Quad Crasher - Vaulted in the 10.00 Patch

The quad was a pretty fun vehicle that had been in the game for a while. If you had the skill, you could launch yourself around the map with it, which made it a valuable tool for rotating after landing in a safe area.

Shopping Cart - Vaulted in the 8.00 Patch

These stayed in the game for a surprisingly long time even when they were barely ever used. While they were a good first venture into vehicles for Fortnite, they ended up being pretty bad overall when all the other vehicles got added. They were super slow and you basically got destroyed if you tried to use them. I would be surprised to see these back in the game without a major overhaul.

The Baller - Vaulted in the 10.00 Patch

One of the more controversial vehicles that has been introduced, right up there with the X-4 Stormwing. While it wasn't super influential in general play, it certainly was used frequently in competitive. Most strategies in high level play revolved around using The Baller to get around and stay safe from other players. Epic nerfed it and also had plans to add windows to it to make it more vulnerable, but that never happened. It continued to see regular competitive usage all the way through the World Cup.

X-4 Stormwing - Vaulted in the 8.00 Patch

Boy were these a controversial topic. Most competitive players hated these because they would disrupt fights and lead to a lot of third partying. At first they were really overpowered, but after a few nerfs they seemed to become more tolerable. While pro players were pretty unanimous about these, a lot of more casual people seemed to really enjoy them. So, while they are gone for now, I won't be surprised to see them end up back in the game at some point.

Vaulted Consumables & Miscellaneous List

Balloons - Vaulted in the 9.00 Patch

Balloons were an oddly useful item. They had a bad issue with leaving you a bit overexposed at times, but you could get to high places or move around the map quickly if you were able to use them correctly. A bit of an underrated item, and one that didn't really have any business being useful but was!

Batman Grapnel Gun - Vaulted in the 11.0.0 Patch

Buried Treasure - Vaulted in the 9.00 Patch

This was a pretty fun item, but now that the pirate theme is gone in Season 8 it makes sense to remove it from the game for now!

Chug Jug - Vaulted in the 11.0.0 Patch

Chug Splash - Vaulted in the 11.0.0 Patch

Grappler - Vaulted in the 7.20 Content Patch

The 7.20 put two pretty big entries into the vault. One was the Quad Launcher, and the biggest one is the Grappler. This was an extremely useful item that allowed you to take back high ground at a moments notice. With this gone, it's going to be a lot more difficult to recover your position if you lose out in a build fight.

Itemized Glider Redeploy - Vaulted in the 10.00 Patch

After Epic had played around with Glider Redeploy as just an automatic ability, it finally landed on adding them as an item. It turned out to be the right choice, because this felt the most fair when playing against it in the game. It, along with a lot of other items, have reduced the ability to move around the map in an efficient matter. It will be interesting to see what Epic does to remedy this.

Jetpack - Vaulted in the 4.4.0 Patch

The Jet Pack was moved to the vault in the v4.4 patch. While it was an interesting item and made for some dynamic plays, it was also made out-building your opponent less important which felt kind of bad. We'll see if the jetpack makes a return in the future, but for now it will hold a place in the vault.

Rift-to-Go - Vaulted in the 9.30 Content Update

The Rift-to-Go has been a mainstay for a while and got quite a bit of use as a very strong travel item. It was used particularly often in competitive scenarios, so not having that will be interesting for players who used it as a get out of jail free card.

Shadow Stones - Vaulted in the 7.0.0 Patch

These don't really fit with the rest of the items because they weren't collectible, but they were listed anyway. Shadow Stones allowed you to turn semi-invisible and kind of glide around the map. If you could get up in the air, you could phase forward and travel pretty far while doing so. These also allowed you to phase through structures and potentially get the jump on people. The problem for these though, was that once you came out of invisibility it took a while to actually pull out your weapon. So, if you tried some tricky plays to try and get the jump on someone, they could usually just shoot you in the face.

Slurp Juice - Vaulted in the 11.0.0 Patch

Mythic Items Vault List

Infinity Blade - Vaulted During Season 7

The Infinity Blade has been added to the vault according to Epic in an unrelated patch. It was the first of the "Mythic Weapons" that are being experimented with. They are off to an unfortunate start with these, due to the sword being overpowered. Here's the statement from epic:
Heya folks, We messed up and rolled out the Infinity Blade overpowered / without good counters, especially in the end game. The Infinity Blade has been Vaulted and we are re-evaluating our approach to Mythic items. Thanks for calling us out on this!
Source
The other problem with the sword is that it was released only a couple of days prior to the big Winter Royale tournament. It had a pretty big affect in the tournament, and was widely criticized in the pro scene. Epic will hopefully test items like this a bit more thoroughly in the future to avoid situations like this one.