Epic Games has added a small but significant feature to Fortnite with Chapter 4 Season 2 that should make facing opponents with sniper rifles somewhat easier. Most Fortnite players have likely experienced the pain of falling to a well-aimed sniper shot, sometimes even in a single blast. It can feel like there's little recourse, since Fortnite matches are full of opponents that can attack unexpectedly. This change may not solve that, but it could offer Fortnite players a chance.
Chapter 4 Season 2 has started off with some dramatic changes to Fortnite's gameplay and balance. Mega City, the new area of Fortnite's map, is just the beginning. Weapons have been rotated in and out, and new weapons have been added. There's even a Havok Pump Shotgun capable of one-shotting full-shield opponents if it's Mythic rarity. Fortnite has also unvaulted several weapons, including scoped guns like the Cobra DMR, Heavy Sniper Rifle, and the Dragon's Breath Sniper.
There's now an option available to Fortnite players to counter opponents' use of sniper rifles. It's indirect, but could save many Fortnite players' lives in the future. Epic Games appears to have added a lens flare visual when players' are using guns with scopes. If a player sees a bright light in the distance, it means that an opponent is scoping in on them with a sniper rifle. That warning gives players a heads-up that they should get into cover quickly.
Obviously, a lens flare feature doesn't prevent Fortnite players from dying to sniper rifles directly. By the time players see the lens flare, it means their opponent is already targeting them. What's important, though, is that it's better now than it was before. Fortnite players were previously forced to react after a shot had already been fired. This gives Fortnite players a chance even before a shot is fired.
The lens flare feature for Fortnite will help players even if they aren't aware of it, as seeing a light flash in the distance is enough to make an informed assumption regarding what it is. But the true benefits come when a player realizes lens flare for scopes is now in the game. They can begin to scan around them looking for lens flare, or specifically watch areas where players may be difficult to discern, but lens flare would stand out.
Lens flare on scopes won't dramatically change the Fortnite experience, but even small changes can make a world of difference for players. Sniper rifles are an aspect of Fortnite that can prove incredibly frustrating to players, and new players especially. Any help that Epic Games can provide is significant, even if it only helps some players some of the time.
Fortnite is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.