Epic Games Confirms No Changes to Fortnite’s Strongest Sniper Rifle
Epic Games has announced that there are no current plans to make changes to the Heavy Sniper Rifle in Fortnite: Battle Royale. In a Reddit thread, developer Eric Williamson stated that while balance is always subject to change, there are no immediate adjustments planned for the weapon. This response came after a user argued against the need to nerf the rifle.
Player Requests for Weaker Heavy Sniper Rifle
Some players on the Fortnite subreddit have been voicing their desire for the Heavy Sniper Rifle to be weakened. With the latest v8.10 update, the rifle is available in Epic and Legendary variants, causing 150 and 157 damage to characters and 1,050 and 1,100 damage to structures in a single shot, respectively. It currently holds the record for the most powerful damage among all weapons in the game, surpassing even explosive weapons like Rocket Launchers and Grenade Launchers.
Due to its high damage, opponents who lack shielding can be easily eliminated with a single shot, provided they are in close proximity to the rifle.
Drawbacks and Balancing
Although the Heavy Sniper Rifle boasts exceptional damage, its reload time of four seconds presents a significant penalty for users who miss a shot. This leaves them vulnerable to opponents who can exploit the reload time and destroy their cover, or quickly rush in with a shotgun to eliminate them. Despite these downsides, Epic Games believes the Heavy Sniper Rifle is balanced enough to remain unchanged for the time being. Players who struggle against it will need to rely on building strategies to block its shots and hope to avoid being targeted from the sides.