Hitscan
What is hitscan? Weapons that hit instantly along a line with no bullet travel, how they differ from projectiles, and where the term comes from.
A hitscan weapon hits whatever lies along its line of fire at the instant you shoot; there is no projectile with travel time. It costs little processing power and is common in first-person shooters.
Where the term comes from
The earliest use of the word found is in The Official Duke Nukem 3D Level Design Handbook (1996), which tells mappers to “turn on HitScan bit”. The technique is older: one source traces it to Wolfenstein 3D and Doom.
Examples
Each game links to the source that describes it using the mechanic.
- Doom, made with id Tech
- Call of Duty, made with id Tech
- Overwatch
- Wolfenstein 3D, made with id Tech
Related terms: Lag compensation, TTK (time to kill), Hitbox and hurtbox, Netcode.
Genres: Boomer shooter, Hero shooter, Extraction shooter, Battle royale.
Sources
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