Fortnite April 5 update patch notes: Chain of Hades buff, Sniper Rifle nerf, more

The April 5 surprise patch to Fortnite has made significant changes to the meta by adjusting the Waterbending Scroll, Frenzy Shotgun, and Chain of Hades.

Epic Games rolled out a secret update to Fortnite on April 5 which didn’t require an update download to take effect. Nonetheless, this update has a big impact on which guns to choose to win gunfights.

Here is a rundown of all the weapon changes made to the most recent Fortnite update.

Frenzy Shotgun

Arguably the most powerful shotgun in the current meta, the Frenzy has been taken down a notch in this patch. It now deals less headshot damage and shoots at a slower rate.

• Fire Rate decreased by 0.20
• Crit Damage multiplier decreased from 1.75x to 1.65x

Reaper Sniper Rifle

The Reaver Sniper Rifle has gone through multiple adjustments since the start of Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 2. The rifle can now only come in Epic and Legendary rarities as of the last update and has now been nerfed further.

Bullet speed and bullet drop-off have both been affected. The Reaver Sniper Rifle now has a slower bullet speed which means the drop off will now happen sooner.

• Reaver Sniper Rifle is now 1.6 times rarer from chest loot.

Hand Cannon

What was once the most elusive weapon to obtain in Fortnite has now been made easier to obtain. Players complained about the spawn rate of Hand Cannons in the past, and Fortnite has now seemingly fixed the problem.

• Hand Cannon is now 1.6 times more likely to drop from chest loot.

Waterbending Scroll

The Waterbending Scroll was added when the Legend of Korra event began on April 2. This mythic item, while a cool concept, failed to stand up against standard weapons. However, Fortnite has now brought Waterbending up a notch.

• Fire Rate increased by 20%
• Damage Increased by 2 (24 instead of 22)
• Crit Damage Multiplier increased by .25 (1.5x now, 36 damage for a crit)
• Projectile Speed has been doubled
• Hitscan Distance has been buffed by ~6.25x

Chains of Hades

One of the most unexpected buffs from this update came to the Chains of Hades. What was once considered one of the more overpowered additions to the game has now been given even more strength.

• First Hit: 40 → 55 Damage
• Second Hit: 40 → 55 Damage
• Third Hit: 70 → 80 Damage
• Hookshot (Secondary attack): 40 →  60 Damage

The latest update doesn’t need a separate download, so when players log into the game next, these changes will already be in effect.