Hit markers are an FPS crutch
In a new column entry from PC Gamer’s Morgan Park, the design of hit markers in first-person shooters comes under scrutiny. Hit markers—the visual and audio feedback that confirms successful shots—are a foundational element of FPS game design, providing immediate, unambiguous confirmation of whether a player’s aim connected with a target. Park acknowledges their value: the feedback is unique to the shooter genre and many games would feel fundamentally incomplete without it.
However, the column argues that hit markers have become overused in modern FPS design, functioning as a crutch that may be limiting more nuanced game design. The piece, part of the ongoing “FOV 90” FPS column series covering topics relevant to shooter enthusiasts across single-player and multiplayer contexts, examines how this ubiquitous UI element shapes player expectation and potentially constrains how developers can design feedback systems and player skill expression in competitive and narrative-driven shooters alike.