Hitbox

Games rarely test every visible pixel or polygon during combat. Instead, they attach simplified invisible volumes to characters, weapons, and objects. These hitboxes let the engine decide whether a shot, strike, hazard, or collision overlaps a valid target. A hurtbox marks an area that can receive damage, while an attack hitbox marks the damaging region, though players often call both hitboxes. Their size, position, animation timing, and network synchronization are crucial to fairness. A mismatch between the visible model and collision volumes can make a clean miss register as a hit or vice versa.