Fortnite’s 9.01 Patch Notes reveal Tactical Assault Rifle, nerfs and a new Vaulted weapon

Find out what's new in Fortnite with today's patch.

The patch notes for version 9.01 of Fortnite have just been released on the game’s official website.

The latest update introduces a new weapon for Battle Royale called the Tactical Assault Rifle. The Baller vehicle and Drum Gun have been nerfed, and the Compact SMG is being sent to the vault as well.

Let’s start with the new weapon, the Tactical Assault Rifle.

This new gun can be found in Rare, Epic and Legendary flavours and is lootable from the usual sources. It’s a fully automatic weapon that holds 30 rounds, does 22 / 23 / 24 damage depending on rarity and has a headshot multiplier of 1.75.

The developers describe the Tactical Assault Rifle as being less effective at long range compared to other Assault Rifles, while having a tighter spread at closer range.

Moving onto the Baller, the health of the item is being reduced from 200 to 150. The developers claim that the previous version had too much defensive potential, when it’s intended to be a fun way to get around the map.

The Drum Gun is also being nerfed, with its base damage dropping from 26 / 27 to 22 / 23. The team feels this change will help the weapon retain its flavour, without being overpowered.

Finally, the Compact SMG is being sent to the Vault. With the recent arrival of the Drum Gun – and now the Tactical Assault Rifle – Epic feels it necessary to reduce the number of high rate-of-fire weapons in Battle Royale.

There’s the usual host of tweaks and bug fixes as well, and you can view the complete list on the official site. You’ll also find details of everything that’s new for Fortnite’s Creative and Save the World modes.