  The exact mechanism for the production of fast $\gamma$-ray variability in
blazars remains debated. Magnetic reconnection, in which plasmoids filled with
relativistic particles and magnetic fields are formed, is a viable candidate to
explain the broadband electromagnetic spectrum and variability of these
objects. Using state-of-the-art magnetic reconnection simulations, we generate
realistic $\gamma$-ray light curves that would be observed with the Fermi Large
Area Telescope. A comparison with observed $\gamma$-ray flares from flat
spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs) reveals that magnetic reconnection events lead
to comparable flux levels and variability patterns, in particular when the
reconnection layer is slightly misaligned with the line of sight. Emission from
fast plasmoids moving close to the line of sight could explain fast variability
on the time scales of minutes for which evidence has been found in observations
of FSRQs. Our results motivate improvements in existing radiative transfer
simulations as well as dedicated searches for fast variability as evidence for
magnetic reconnection events.
