As part of the first update sinceFortniteseason 9 officially launched, developer Epic Games adds the new Tactical Assault Rifle but also makes a few other changes to the weapons and items. For example, the compact SMG has also been vaulted shortly after thepump shotgun and balloons were all added to the vault, and some changes were also made to the Drum Gun and Baller.
The new player in theFortnitearmory is the Tactical Assault Rifle, but it had leaked around the time of season 9. So, it’s not surprising to finally see it added. The Tactical Assault Rifle can be found in rare, epic, and legendary variants from floor loot, chests, supply drops, and vending machines. It’s fully automatic, has a 30 round magazine, deals 22/23/24 damage, has a headshot multiplier of 1.75, and is effective in close quarters. Because of its tactical design, it is not as effective at long range as other assault rifles.
The compact SMG has been vaulted due to the addition of the aforementioned Tactical Assault Rifle and the Drum Gun.Fortnitedeveloper Epic Games explains that, due to their additions, it wanted to “reduce the availability of high rate-of-fire weapons.” It remains to be seen how this changes up the meta, but with the popularity of the Drum Gun, it’s an understandable decision.
Speaking ofthe Drum Gun, it was also nerfed as part of this update. Base damage was reduced from 26/27 to 22/23 in order to slightly nerf its combat effectiveness while hopefully keeping what makes the Drum Gun special. As far as the Baller goes, its health was reduced from 200 to 150 to give the item a little less defensive agency since it is intended to be more of a mobility item inFortnite.
One thing not outlined by the patch notes for the v9.01 update is whether or not the newFortniteinsta-death locationwill be fixed. Typically, these are fixed by the closest update, so the pattern suggests that it will be. But until it is confirmed, players will want to watch where they step.
Fortniteis out now for Android, iOS, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
