A quick test for friendly fire
In a co-op game, a shot at a teammate can function as a test rather than an attack. The player is checking whether the game treats allies’ weapons as harmless or lets them cause damage—a rule that can change how the whole team moves and fights.
Games signal the answer in different ways. A teammate’s health bar may drop, a hit effect may appear, or nothing may happen. Some games allow bullets to pass through allies; others block the shot without hurting them. So players are not just checking whether the weapon fires, but how the game handles contact between teammates.
Why find out at the start?
The opening moments are a low-cost time to learn a rule that could matter later. If friendly fire is on, teammates may need to spread out, avoid crossing one another’s line of fire, and take extra care around explosives. If it is off, they can often cluster more freely without risking accidental damage.
Testing early can also prevent confusion during a fight: a player who sees a teammate’s health fall may otherwise mistake an accidental hit for an enemy attack or a game glitch. The little shot is a crude but immediate tutorial, revealing a hidden team rule before the stakes rise.
