Patch notes have been released today that confirm the tweaks being made to SMGs in Fortnite Battle Royale.
The new Fortnite update was announced via the support team on Twitter and is based on fan feedback.
Epic Games say they have released the new hotfix as a way to try and rebalance the line of weapons.
Fortnite fans only just the new SMG Company go live, however, it’s one of the weapons that has seen the most changes.
The July 25 update includes a list of patch notes, which have been officially shared by Epic Games.
“We’ve heard your feedback regarding SMGs and that they’re stronger than we would like at the moment,” a message from Epic Games reads.
“We agree and have just pushed a hotfix live adjusting these values – bringing them more in line with where we want them.
“We’ll continue to monitor and please keep the feedback coming.”
As mentioned above, this new Fortnite update is about making changes to the SMGs found in-game, and doesn’t contain any new content.
A separate update has been made to the Fortnite Shop, which now includes Fate and Sky Stalker Outfits and gear.
The full Fortnite patch notes can be found below, and mostly include nerfs for the SMG and SMG Compact:
- SMG and Compact SMG accuracy bonus reduced from 35% to 15%.
- SMG damage reduced from 19/20/21 to 17/18/19.
- Compact SMG damage reduced from 23/24 to 21/22.
- SMG fire rate reduced from 13 to 12.
- Compact SMG fire rate reduced from 11 to 10.
- SMG, Compact SMG, and Silenced SMG damage falloff.
- Range reduced from 2400/3500/5000 to 2000/3000/4000.
- Percentage reduced from 100/80/65% to 100/70/40%.
- Rare SMG and Compact SMGs drop rates slightly reduced.
Explaining some of the changes in more detail, another Epic Games comment explains: “The new falloff values apply to environmental damage as well, meaning SMGs are now less effective at destroying structures as range increases.
“This helps further position SMGs as close-range weapons and keeps them from edging into engagement ranges where rifles should be the most effective option.
“Again, we’ll be keeping a close eye on SMG performance to make sure they hit the goal of being a good option for close-quarters combat without over-performing in other areas.”
The SMG Compact has only been live in-game for a few days but it appears fans have wanted to see its speed and accuracy dialled back a notch.
The new Fortnite update should be available to all players on PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, Mac, and Mobile iOS.
