Not too long ago, the prolific Fortnite Battle Royale leaker known as Lucas7yoshi discovered a 3D model and audio files for the Suppressed Sniper Rifle in a recent update for the game, with the gun apparently being referred to as “Athena” in the data mine. Now, it looks like Epic Games has decided to confirm the weapon's existence, as the developer recently announced the gun will be making its way into the free-to-play Battle Royale release.

According to the Suppressed Sniper Rifle's description in Fortnite's in-game news feed, the firearm will allow players who wield it the ability to "strike at [their] opponents quietly", with its firing mechanism being of the bolt-action variety. Unfortunately, though, Epic doesn't explicitly mention exactly when it intends to bring the long-range weapon into the fold, but there's a good chance that it could come as soon as this Thursday once the title's next content cycle begins.

For those who have been out of the loop as of late in regards to Fortnite's ongoing development, Epic is constantly changing the Battle Royale game's meta with the introduction of new items and the removal of others. Those interested in learning what's in and what's out right now would do well to check out the list of vaulted weapons and items as of January 2019, as the free-to-play title's content is a far cry from what it initially was back in 2017.

While fans patiently await the arrival of Fortnite's Suppressed Sniper Rifle, Epic has ensured that there's plenty of content to keep them busy, with the company having just recently brought back the title's 14 Days of Fortnite event following a scheduling snafu. And, of course, there's always the ever-present quest of completing weekly challenges, with Season 7 Week 5's Battle Pass tasks currently live, and with Week 6's offerings right over the horizon.

Fortnite is available now in early access for Android, iOS, PC, PlayStation 4, Switch, and Xbox One.