Fortnite 7.30 Patch Notes with Chiller Grenade, Bolt-Action Sniper Vaulted, More

A majority of Fortnite Battle Royale players, especially those within the competitive community, likely welcomed the release of the 7.30 patch Tuesday, which brought an end to the winter zombie event that made legitimate scrim sessions nearly impossible in recent weeks.

Epic Games announced several gameplay changes to the popular video game in the latest patch notes, highlighted by several notable weapons being vaulted—bolt-action sniper, heavy shotgun, standard SMG and the remaining burst assault rifles—and the arrival of a new chiller grenade.

Removing the bolt comes as a surprise as it remained popular in standard lobbies. Although snipers are rarely utilized in tournament play outside of the heavy, which can one-shot walls to create an advantage much like the deagle, they are more common in casual play.

The other gun changes are less impactful across the board. The heavy shotgun had become a niche weapon given the greater close-range power of the pump and the first three tiers of burst ARs were removed previously, leaving just the high-grade famas, which is now gone as well.

Taking the standard SMG out of the game would have been notable, but it was immediately replaced by the suppressed SMG, so there's no real alteration to creating a loadout.

The Chiller Grenade is basically like a Boogie Bomb to match the winter theme. Instead of causing opponents to dance, it will force them backwards with icy feet for seven seconds. It's similar to the chiller traps used in previous seasons and will allow players to reset a fight when at a disadvantage.

A few changes were also made to editing, which has become an essential part of Fortnite.

The edit delay, which had been removed for a short time in the last patch before getting quickly added back because of bugs caused by the switch, has once again been taken out. It should make for a much smoother experience while in the middle of a build fight or during late-game movement.

Epic Games is also testing a change in the new Architect Pop-Up Cup tournaments that will allow players to edit any structure, whether built by themselves or an opponent. Previously, players only had edit powers on items created personally or by their teammates.

Finally, special Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots jersey skins were added in celebration of their matchup in Super Bowl LIII on Sunday. Gamers who purchased the Fourth Down set when it was released in November will receive the new uniform styles for free.