Fortnite 12.50 Update patch notes: Aim assist & Heavy Sniper nerfs
Epic GamesEpic Games have released a brand-new patch for popular battle royale title Fortnite, with the v12.50 Update released on PC, Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch and mobile devices on Wednesday, April 29.
With the incredible Travis Scott’s Astronomical event firmly in the rear-view mirror now, Fortnite fans now turn their attention back to the battle royale, and Epic have wasted little time in tweaking the current state of the game, fiddling with the meta just a week after releasing the v12.40 patch.
While the 12.40 update was relatively small in terms of additions not linked to Travis Scott, Epic have made some sweeping changes that address a number of issues with the game, attempting to solve some of the major problems that some of the game’s biggest content creators have been complaining about throughout Chapter 2, Season 2.
Aim Assist nerfed
The biggest change in Fortnite 12.50 is a major adjustment to aim assist, something that pro players and content creators like Tfue and Ninja have been vocally upset by in recent weeks.
For some time, controller has seemed to have the upper hand over keyboard and mouse, as aim assist helped them lock onto enemies and hit shots that would generally be extremely difficult to hit otherwise using a thumbstick.
Now, Epic have made an adjustment, stating that the new patch includes a change that makes “240hz aim assist act like 60HZ,” something that say will directly “impact target acquisition.” At this time, investigations and tests are still ongoing, so we may see them continue to tweak it over the coming weeks.
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Heavy Sniper nerfed
That’s not the only nerf in the 12.50 Update though, as the Heavy Sniper has also had its power greatly reduced in an attempt to balance out the weapon pool. In recent weeks, the Heavy Sniper has become a must-have weapon, as not only does it deal incredibly high damage to enemy players, but it’s output also made it incredibly useful for breaking down enemy builds.
While Epic have yet to reveal how exactly the weapon was altered, they have confirmed that “Ghost Aganets have tampered with Heavy Snipers to retune their effectiveness,” with early signs showing that it no longer kills enemies in one shot if they have full health and shields.
Epic Games
Party Royale & Operation: Payload
Epic also announced some brand-new modes, with Party Royale allowing players to leave their “weapons and materials behind,” and instead hang out and have fun on a specially-built island designed specifically for the new addition. What this new mode will include remains to be seen, but Epic have confirmed that they plan to run their first test on Friday, April 1 at 9PM EST, and invited players to take part.
A new Spy mode also makes its debut known as Operation: Payload, which is extremely reminiscent of Overwatch’s escort mode. Players will be divided into two teams, with one escorting and defending the payload as it moves towards its final destination, while the other team does their best to stop the convoy in its tracks.
Bug Fixes
As always, Epic Games have introduced a number of bug fixes to the game, as they attempt to iron out issues and improve quality of life for players. You can view the full list taken from the game’s Community Trello below.
General
- Framerate and resolution drops in v12.41
Battle Royale
- Local Challenges not appearing when entering a new area
- “Block damage with a Kingsman” Challenge not tracking progress
Save the World
- Surround Pound’s heavy attack may not deal damage to husks
- Players may be swapped to their pickaxe when using an ability that’s on cooldown
- Stormking Onslaught Projectiles are not functioning correctly
- Players may become stuck in a previous Dungeons zone while their teammates are in the next one
- Psylocke’s Pickaxe does not swing properly
Mobile
- Video playback disabled on Android
- Extra Build buttons display Wall icons
- Ping marker displays 0n