diff --git a/source/build/src/engine.cpp b/source/build/src/engine.cpp
index 7f6329d8f..b36c67ada 100644
--- a/source/build/src/engine.cpp
+++ b/source/build/src/engine.cpp
@@ -903,7 +903,7 @@ static spriteext_t spriteext_s[MAXSPRITES+MAXUNIQHUDID];
 static spritesmooth_t spritesmooth_s[MAXSPRITES+MAXUNIQHUDID];
 static sectortype sector_s[MAXSECTORS];
 static walltype wall_s[MAXWALLS];
-static spritetype sprite_s[MAXSPRITES];
+spritetype sprite_s[MAXSPRITES];
 static tspritetype tsprite_s[MAXSPRITESONSCREEN];
 
 int32_t enginePreInit(void)
diff --git a/source/games/duke/src/global.cpp b/source/games/duke/src/global.cpp
index 4172e6cfd..d6c28f35f 100644
--- a/source/games/duke/src/global.cpp
+++ b/source/games/duke/src/global.cpp
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ uint8_t sectorextra[MAXSECTORS]; // move these back into the base structs!
 
 int rtsplaying;
 int tempwallptr;
-weaponhit hittype[MAXSPRITES];
+weaponhit hittype[MAXSPRITES+1];	// +1 to have a blank entry for serialization.
 bool sound445done; // this was local state inside a function, but this must be maintained globally and serialized
 uint16_t frags[MAXPLAYERS][MAXPLAYERS];
 player_struct ps[MAXPLAYERS];
diff --git a/source/games/duke/src/global.h b/source/games/duke/src/global.h
index fa157b52e..b336e35b3 100644
--- a/source/games/duke/src/global.h
+++ b/source/games/duke/src/global.h
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ extern uint8_t sectorextra[MAXSECTORS]; // these hold fields that were formerly
 
 extern int rtsplaying;
 extern int tempwallptr;
-extern weaponhit hittype[MAXSPRITES];
+
 extern bool sound445done;
 extern uint16_t frags[MAXPLAYERS][MAXPLAYERS];
 extern player_struct ps[MAXPLAYERS];
diff --git a/source/games/duke/src/premap.cpp b/source/games/duke/src/premap.cpp
index de7247995..481e0ff91 100644
--- a/source/games/duke/src/premap.cpp
+++ b/source/games/duke/src/premap.cpp
@@ -684,7 +684,7 @@ void prelevel_common(int g)
     resetprestat(0, g);
     numclouds = 0;
 
-    memset(hittype, 0, sizeof(hittype));
+    for (auto& h : hittype) h.clear();
     memset(sectorextra, 0, sizeof(sectorextra));
     memset(shadedsector, 0, sizeof(shadedsector));
     memset(geosectorwarp, -1, sizeof(geosectorwarp));
diff --git a/source/games/duke/src/savegame.cpp b/source/games/duke/src/savegame.cpp
index 5251c6ef2..40fef5eb5 100644
--- a/source/games/duke/src/savegame.cpp
+++ b/source/games/duke/src/savegame.cpp
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ Prepared for public release: 03/21/2003 - Charlie Wiederhold, 3D Realms
 #include "duke3d.h"
 #include "gamestate.h"
 
+extern FixedBitArray<MAXSPRITES> activeSprites;
+
 
 BEGIN_DUKE_NS
 
@@ -293,8 +295,10 @@ FSerializer& Serialize(FSerializer& arc, const char* keyname, player_struct& w,
 	return arc;
 }
 
+
 FSerializer& Serialize(FSerializer& arc, const char* keyname, weaponhit& w, weaponhit* def)
 {
+	if (!def) def = &hittype[MAXSPRITES];
 	if (arc.BeginObject(keyname))
 	{
 		arc("cgg", w.cgg, def->cgg)
@@ -327,7 +331,7 @@ void GameInterface::SerializeGameState(FSerializer& arc)
 {
 	if (arc.isReading())
 	{
-		memset(hittype, 0, sizeof(hittype));
+		for (auto& h : hittype) h.clear();
 		memset(sectorextra, 0, sizeof(sectorextra));
 		memset(shadedsector, 0, sizeof(shadedsector));
 		memset(geosectorwarp, -1, sizeof(geosectorwarp));
@@ -340,42 +344,8 @@ void GameInterface::SerializeGameState(FSerializer& arc)
 		arc("multimode", ud.multimode);
 		if (ud.multimode > 1) arc.Array("frags", &frags[0][0], MAXPLAYERS * MAXPLAYERS);
 
-		// Here we must only save the used entries, otherwise the savegame would get too large.
-		weaponhit def = {};
-		if (arc.isWriting())
-		{
-			if (arc.BeginArray("weaponhit"))
-			{
-				// Save this in a way that's easy to read out again. RapidJSON sucks at iterating over objects. :(
-				for (int i = 0; i < MAXSPRITES; i++)
-				{
-					if (sprite[i].statnum != MAXSTATUS)
-					{
-						arc(nullptr, i);
-						arc(nullptr, hittype[i], def);
-					}
-				}
-			}
-			arc.EndArray();
-		}
-		else
-		{
-			if (arc.BeginArray("weaponhit"))
-			{
-				auto s = arc.ArraySize()/2;
-				for (unsigned i = 0; i < s; i++)
-				{
-					int ii;
-					arc(nullptr, ii);
-					arc(nullptr, hittype[ii], def);
-				}
-				arc.EndArray();
-			}
-		}
-
-
-		arc("skill", ud.player_skill)
-
+		arc.SparseArray("actors", hittype, MAXSPRITES, activeSprites)
+			("skill", ud.player_skill)
 			("from_bonus", ud.from_bonus)
 			("secretlevel", ud.secretlevel)
 			("respawn_monsters", ud.respawn_monsters)
diff --git a/source/games/duke/src/types.h b/source/games/duke/src/types.h
index 450f7cc4f..ed0c46ba8 100644
--- a/source/games/duke/src/types.h
+++ b/source/games/duke/src/types.h
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 #include "d_net.h"
 #include "gameinput.h"
 
+extern spritetype sprite_s[];
+
 BEGIN_DUKE_NS
 
 // all the struct types from JFDuke's duke3d.h
@@ -28,16 +30,25 @@ struct weaponhit
 	short timetosleep;
 	int floorz, ceilingz, lastvx, lastvy, bposx, bposy, bposz, aflags;
 	int temp_data[6];
-};
+	spritetype& s;	// direct reference to the corresponding sprite.
 
-// This is how a Duke actor should later be exposed to scripting. The object definition parts are disabled for now so that this can be used already to transition the code.
-class DDukeActor //: public DBuildActor
-{
-public:
-	//DECLARE_CLASS(DDukeActor, DBuildActor)
-	spritetype s;
-	weaponhit h;
+	static weaponhit* array();	// this is necessary to allow define inline functions referencing the global array inside the definition itself.
+
+	weaponhit() : s(sprite_s[this - array()]) {}			// little trick to initialize the reference automatically. ;)
+	weaponhit(const weaponhit& other) = delete;				// we also do not want to allow copies.
+	weaponhit& operator=(const weaponhit& other) = delete;
+	void clear()
+	{
+		cgg = spriteextra = 0;
+		picnum = ang = extra = owner = movflag = tempang = actorstayput = dispicnum = timetosleep = 0;
+		floorz = ceilingz = lastvx = lastvy = bposx = bposy = bposz = aflags = 0;
+		memset(temp_data, 0, sizeof(temp_data));
+	}
 };
+extern weaponhit hittype[MAXSPRITES + 1];
+inline weaponhit* weaponhit::array() { return hittype; }
+
+using DDukeActor = weaponhit; // we do not really want that stupid name in our interface (but also not rename the struct yet.)
 
 struct animwalltype
 {