Game Guns Don't Shoot Bullets—They Do This Instead!

In most modern shooters, when you pull the trigger, you're not firing a bullet—you're casting a ray.

Hitscan systems let developers skip physics like gravity and drag by tracing a lightning-fast invisible line from your weapon to the target. The result? Instant feedback, smooth network performance, and blazing-fast gameplay.

Projectiles, on the other hand, behave more like real bullets: they arc, drop, and take time to hit. Devs usually save those for high-stakes weapons—like snipers or rockets—where dramatic flight matters.

In this short, we break down why raycasting is so common, when studios go full projectile, and how visual effects trick your brain into thinking you're firing a real bullet.

#GameDev #Hitscan #FPS #GamingExplained #ShooterDesign #DevInsights #GameMechanics #Raycasting #ProjectilePhysics