New Fortnite Patch Adds Heavy Sniper And Two New Game Modes

We've got another somewhat small Fortnite update landing today, but the new weapon it adds could very well be a terror to encounter on the battlefield. Most Fortnite players probably already knew that the biggest addition in this week's patch is the Heavy Sniper, but today's patch notes tell us what it's all about. In short: It sounds like a beast of a weapon, though one that probably won't be appropriate for all situations.

The Heavy Sniper is a gun that will only drop in Epic and Legendary variants, so get ready to do some searching if you want to try it out. As is usually the case, you'll be able to find the Heavy Sniper in floor loot, chests, supply drops, and vending machines, so pretty much anywhere a gun would typically spawn.

The Heavy Sniper deals a lot of damage with each shot, with epic variants dishing out 150 damage and legendary variants dealing 157. They'll do a lot of damage to buildings as well (1050/1100), so if someone has height advantage over you, a well-placed Heavy Sniper shot might be all you need to send them tumbling to the ground. The draw back – because there always has to be one – is that the Heavy Sniper takes a long time to reload, so you won't be able to fire off these strong rounds in quick succession.

In addition to the Heavy Sniper, there are two new limited-time game modes being added to the game today. The first is called Soaring 50's, and it's just like a typical 50v50 match, only you'll be able to deploy your glider anytime you're in the air and more than 10m above ground. Impulse Grenades, Bounce Pads, and Launch Pad have also had their spawn rates increases, so expect to see people flying all over the place.

The second LTM added in this update is – what else? – Sniper Shootout. The mode is pretty self-explanatory, but it's worth noting that the Scoped Assault Rifle has been removed from the LTM to make room for the Heavy Sniper. This update is live now, and you can read Epic's full patch notes over at the official Fortnite website.