Fortnite made the game's best weapon completely useless

Sniper rifles used to be a lot better in Fortnite. Players who have been around for a long time may remember that snipers used to deal a lot more damage and were a lot more common. There have been several different types of snipers over the years, including the Bolt-Action, the Heavy Sniper Rifle and the Hunting Rifle.

Many of these guns were even in the game at the same time. Now, in Chapter 3 Season 2, there's just one sniper available and it's not even that good. This was true in Chapter 3 Season 1 when they intially nerfed snipers.

The Hunter Bolt Action was nerfed when it came back (Image via Epic Games)

Now, thanks to a combination of factors, snipers are relatively useless. It's a shame because many considered it to be one of the game's best weapons at its peak.

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Fortnite arguably ruined the game's best weapon: Sniper rifles

There was a time when a sniper shot was the most dangerous thing in Fortnite. A headshot was pretty much an instant kill, too. That's no longer the case as a body shot from a Hunter Bolt-Action Sniper Rifle only does 99 damage, and that's only if it's Legendary.

A headshot won't kill anyone with full health or a full shield either, as it only does 198 damage. It prompted a discussion within the community about whether this was good or bad.

Naturally, the significantly nerfed damage was a point of contention. As this player pointed out, saying:

"It’s a sniper. If you get hit in the head you should die."

That's a valid point, though Epic Games seems to disagree. Most of the commenters agreed with the points raised, too.

One thing the original poster didn't mention is that there's a new ranged weapon back in the game. The Thermal Scoped Assault Rifle, which has been buffed, is a pretty good weapon and provides a longer range than other guns.

It's been buffed so much that it's arguably more useful than the sniper, so many players just don't bother with it anymore.

Snipers used to be one of the most valuable weapons to have. Being able to shoot from long distances and see from afar was invaluable to many players. Unfortunately, they've been on a steady decline in recent seasons.

Unless a significant buff happens in the near future, Fortnite snipers may fall by the wayside and be vaulted completely once again.

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