Aim Assist in Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 1: Buff, nerfs, and balance changes

The arrival of Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 1 has changed the meta entirely. Instead of relying on shotguns, loopers prefer to use SMGs and Assault Rifles now. "Spray and Pray" is the new go-to strategy for Epic Games' popular battle royale title.

Naturally, aim assist has always played a huge role in Fortnite's meta and has been quite a controversial topic among MNK (Mouse and Keyboard) and controller players for some time now. Here's everything there is to know about the aim assist mechanics in Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 1.

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Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 1 intentionally turns off aim assist

The concept of aim assist in shooting games was primarily introduced for console players, because aiming and firing a weapon with console controllers has always been difficult. Now that a majority of multiplayer games support cross-platform, it is important to add features such as aim assist to bring in a sense of fairness and equality for console players.

It was recently discovered that Fortnite has intentionally turned off the aim assist in Chapter 3 Season 1. As per prominent content creator NRG Aussie Antics, this is to change the way in which aim assist works with certain weapons (mainly SMGs and Assault Rifles).

A plethora of Fortnite players have reported that their aim assist suddenly stopped functioning during box fights or close range combat. Obviously, this has severely affected controller players, who largely depend on aim assist.

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Why has Fortnite nerfed the aim assist in Chapter 3 Season 1?

It is self-evident that the "Spray and Pray" meta has returned to Fortnite for Chapter 3 Season 1. The shotguns in the game's current arsenal are slow and cannot be prioritized over SMGs and Assault Rifles.

In contrast, the Stinger SMG and MK-Seven Assault Rifle are the best weapons to carry in the game currently. They are not only great at shredding builds, but also deal significant damage at all ranges.

From the looks of it, Fortnite wants its players to use SMGs and Assault Rifles in the newest Chapter. However, it simultaneously wants to avoid situations where players exploit strategies like box jumping.

The biggest critics of the ongoing changes in aim assist have obviously been controller players. The faction states that box fights already favored MNK players, and the latest nerfs have worsened their condition.

It is safe to assume that Epic Games will make certain balance changes in weapons as well as aim assist based on the community's feedback. Until then, loopers will have to use the MK-Seven Assault Rifle and the Stinger SMG to dominate their opponents on the battlefield.