Fortnite dev explains v31.20’s aim assist nerfs & reveals there’s more to come

Fortnite’s v31.20 patch brings a major change to aim assist for controller players. Say goodbye to “superhuman” aim tracking and hello to a more “human” experience.

As described in the patch notes, the v31.20 update rolled out a revamped aim assist mode across all platforms. The human-like assist simulates real human reaction times, especially when tracking moving targets.

Unlike before, it balances aim assist to feel more natural for controller players, while still leveling the playing field against keyboard and mouse users. This shift should make aiming feel more balanced across skill levels, and Epic plans to monitor the results to fine-tune it.

Senior Fortnite developer Jibb Smart hopped onto X to share the big news. He explained that this new system was his “baby” and that these changes are meant to be a subtle yet impactful improvement.

Epic Games

While the bulk of Fortnite’s aim assist remains unchanged, Smart emphasized that this new system reduces the “superhuman stickiness” that older aim assist versions used.

He explained how traditional aim assist often gave controller players an unrealistic edge, offering precision beyond what human reaction times could accomplish. This advantage was sometimes unfair in cross-platform competition. The new model aims to fix this issue by mimicking real human reflexes with aim assist.

Smart clarified that human-like aim assist isn’t about making it stronger or weaker. Instead, it removes unrealistic advantages while still keeping things smooth and intuitive for controller users. As he put it, this will “improve the feel of aiming for controller players AND the competitive integrity for playing against mouse players at the same time.”

This mid-season update gives Epic a chance to compare player performance and refine the system before making further tweaks. While the aim assist overhaul may seem subtle, his goal is clear: balance and fairness across platforms. Jibb Smart closes his thread by inviting players to share feedback, “We’re not finished tuning aim assist.”

But, that’s not all the v31.20 Fortnite patch brought. Check out the new Iron Man mythics and the intense Day of Doom LTM to learn more about what’s changing in the update.