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Fortnite updates continue to arrive at their usual pace, and the latest patch, v9.01, adds a new weapon and more. The tactical assault rifle was previously leaked, but now we have confirmation it's real--and we also know just how deadly it is. The update is available now on PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, and mobile.

The tactical assault rifle is a fully automatic rifle with a 30-round magazine. It can be obtained from floor loot, chests, supply drops, and vending machines in rare, epic, and legendary variants. The gun deals 22/23/24 damage, depending what rarity you're carrying, and it also carries a headshot multiplier of 1.75. The trade-off of this new gun is that the combat SMG has been vaulted, meaning it is no longer available in-game.




Elsewhere in the update, The Baller has been nerfed. The hamster ball has seen its health cut from 200 to 150, as developer Epic Games says the vehicle "still has a little too much defensive agency." For more on the Battle Royale changes in update 9.01, take a look at the patch notes below; you can see the full patch notes for Creative and Save the World on Epic's blog.

Fortnite Season 9 started just recently, introducing new challenges, skins, and more. We also know there'll be a Fortnite summer block party starting right after E3.

Fortnite: Battle Royale Update 9.01 Patch Notes

Weapons And Items

  • Tactical Assault Rifle
    • Available in Rare, Epic, and Legendary variants.
    • Available from Floor Loot, Chests, Supply Drops, and Vending Machines
      • Fully Automatic
      • 30 Round Magazine
      • Deals 22/23/24 damage
      • Headshot Multiplier of 1.75x
      • This weapon has a tight spread in close quarters but is less effective at long range when compared to other Assault Rifles.
  • Reduced Baller health from 200 to 150
    • The primary goal of the Baller is to provide fun and exciting mobility. We feel that it still has a little too much defensive agency - this change should reduce the effectiveness there while not impacting its strengths.
  • Drum Gun adjustments
    • Reduced base damage from 26/27 to 22/23
      • Since its unvaulting, the Drum Gun effectiveness has been slightly higher than we wanted. This change should reduce its combat effectiveness while still retaining its flavor.
  • Vaulted Compact SMG
    • Due to the recent addition of the Drum Gun and the brand new Tactical Assault Rifle, we wanted to reduce the availability of high rate-of-fire weapons.
Gameplay

  • Slipstream adjustments
    • Slipstreams no longer block building.
      • Trying to build up to get into a Slipstream should be an easy & intuitive experience. We noticed some cases where players would build up to the Slipstream, but due to build restrictions would take a ‘leap of faith’ and not make the jump. This should make getting into a Slipstream easier.
    • Players flying in a Slipstream will destroy player built objects when they collide.
    • Slipstreams are now disabled after storm phase 5.
      • We’ve seen a number of cases where Slipstreams caused issues during late game circles - primarily around getting pulled into the storm unexpectedly. Since the value of Slipstream mobility is limited in those scenarios, we felt it’s better to simply disable them.
Performance

  • Improvements made to level streaming performance on all platforms.
    • This will reduce cases of buildings not loading in.
  • Physics optimizations to improve performance in conduits

Source: GameSpot