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What changed in Ballistic v34.20?
Epic Games described the update as focused on weapon balance, economy adjustments, and fixes in its March 24, 2025 Ballistic update post. The mode-specific update was scheduled to arrive March 25. The wider Fortnite v34.20 release also included Creative, UEFN, and Verse changes, which are separate from Ballistic; see the Epic Developer Community release notes.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Fortnite eGift Card | $50.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Fortnite eGift Card | $25.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Fortnite Physical Gift Card | $30.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Fortnite eGift Card | $15.00 | Buy on Amazon |
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Fortnite Physical Gift Card | $50.00 | Buy on Amazon |
Which weapons were buffed or adjusted?
Epic listed four weapon adjustments. The post describes direction and range rather than numerical stat deltas, so exact damage values or percentages are not available.
| Weapon | v34.20 change |
|---|---|
| Hammer Pump Shotgun | Slightly higher fire rate and significantly more point-blank damage. |
| Frenzy Auto Shotgun | More point-blank and mid-range damage. |
| Thunder Burst SMG | Slight increases to damage and fire rate. |
| Striker AR | Damage falloff begins at a shorter range. |
How did Ballistic weapon prices change?
These are in-match store costs in Credits, not real-money prices.
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- Redeemable on accounts in the United States and in U.S. Dollars.
- Gift card must be redeemed at EpicGames.com/redeem. This gift card WILL NOT work if redeemed directly on a console device (PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, etc.)
- If you play Fortnite experiences on a console device, you need to link your Epic Games account to your console account(s) so items purchased at Fortnite.com/item-shop appear across all of your linked accounts
- Requires internet connection, valid Epic account and prior acceptance of the terms
- Redemption: Online
| Weapon | Before | After v34.20 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reaper Sniper Rifle | 4,700 Credits | 4,500 Credits | Down 200 |
| Striker AR | 2,500 Credits | 2,700 Credits | Up 200 |
| Nemesis AR | 2,500 Credits | 2,700 Credits | Up 200 |
| Drum Gun | 3,500 Credits | 3,200 Credits | Down 300 |
Was Hammer Fall added in v34.20?
No. Epic previewed Hammer Fall as Ballistic’s first new map since launch, but it was not part of v34.20. The preview described castle spires, narrow lanes, vertical routes, cover, angles, and corners. Epic planned to release it with v34.30 on April 8, 2025, initially as a shell map without environmental art so the team could adjust its layout using player feedback.
What changed for gadgets and gameplay?
- Bubble Shield: It collapses after accumulating more than 600 damage if that happens before its six-second time limit.
- Recon Grenades: They can now be destroyed, and enemy Recon Grenades pulse red. A missing notification when a player was tagged was also fixed.
- Smoke Grenade: Smoke deploys more quickly.
Other gameplay fixes addressed mantling unless the player was looking directly at a ledge, Rift Point Device pickup or planting issues after the first round, jumping through the Skyline 10 Sushi Bar window when too close to the wall, and gadget selection on consoles.
Rank #2
- Redeemable on accounts in the United States and in U.S. Dollars.
- Gift card must be redeemed at EpicGames.com/redeem. This gift card WILL NOT work if redeemed directly on a console device (PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, etc.)
- If you play Fortnite experiences on a console device, you need to link your Epic Games account to your console account(s) so items purchased at Fortnite.com/item-shop appear across all of your linked accounts
- Requires internet connection, valid Epic account and prior acceptance of the terms
- Redemption: Online
What visual and match-flow bugs were fixed?
Visual and interface fixes covered camera clipping while crouching and backing up or landing while aiming down sights, scopes appearing to disappear during slides, camera jitter after mantling, and an overly fast Drum Gun aim-down-sights animation. Epic also fixed attackers briefly appearing at defender spawn, the text-chat unread indicator, the Rift Point Device planting animation for spectators, and teammate health showing as zero while spectating.
Other fixes addressed being unable to close the map screen, walking and shooting during the victory screen, Ranked Ballistic quest progression after two matches, Buy Phase timers ending after two seconds instead of 25, party leaders appearing not ready in some lobby states, ranked progression sometimes failing to move after a win, and a duplicate Scoreboard button on mobile. Epic also included fixes aimed at reducing crashes.
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Rank #3
- An Epic Games account is required to redeem an Epic Games Store Card code
- If playing on a console platform (PlayStation Network, Xbox Live, Nintendo Switch or Mobile) you need to link your Epic Games account to that gaming platform (one time) to redeem your gift card code
- The 16 digit code on the back of the card WILL NOT work if redeemed directly through your gaming platform (PlayStation Network, Xbox Live, Nintendo Switch, Mobile, etc.)
- Note: Nintendo devices do not support Fortnite Shared Wallet, so V-Bucks purchased using your account balance will not show up on your Nintendo device. However, if you purchase items in the web Item Shop — or another platform where you play Fortnite — those items will be available in your Locker across all platforms.
- Redemption: Online
What did Epic say about future Ballistic changes?
Epic’s early-access update also summarized player feedback and development work. These comments were not features shipped in v34.20:
- Players had requested new maps, weapons and gadgets, more starter-pistol choices, improved AFK handling, HUD customization, and more efficient inventory management.
- Epic said new weapons would include pistols available for purchase in the starting round.
- Surrender was in development and described at the time as likely for early summer.
- HUD and inventory ideas were still being explored, without concrete plans. Epic also mentioned a planned UI change to make it clearer who had the Rift Point Device.
These are development statements from Epic’s March 24, 2025 post; they do not establish whether or when those ideas were later released.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- An Epic Games account is required to redeem an Epic Games Store Card code
- If playing on a console platform (PlayStation Network, Xbox Live, Nintendo Switch or Mobile) you need to link your Epic Games account to that gaming platform (one time) to redeem your gift card code
- The 16 digit code on the back of the card WILL NOT work if redeemed directly through your gaming platform (PlayStation Network, Xbox Live, Nintendo Switch, Mobile, etc.)
- Note: Nintendo devices do not support Fortnite Shared Wallet, so V-Bucks purchased using your account balance will not show up on your Nintendo device. However, if you purchase items in the web Item Shop — or another platform where you play Fortnite — those items will be available in your Locker across all platforms.
- Redemption: Online
Rank #4
- Redeemable on accounts in the United States and in U.S. Dollars.
- Gift card must be redeemed at EpicGames.com/redeem. This gift card WILL NOT work if redeemed directly on a console device (PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, etc.)
- If you play Fortnite experiences on a console device, you need to link your Epic Games account to your console account(s) so items purchased at Fortnite.com/item-shop appear across all of your linked accounts
- Requires internet connection, valid Epic account and prior acceptance of the terms
- Redemption: Online
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
