Fortnite v9.21 Patch Notes Detail Proximity Grenade Launcher, Horde Rush LTM

It seems that Epic's update schedule for Fortnite doesn't falter even during the madness that is E3. Epic pushed a new update to Fortnite this morning, adding a new weapon called the Proximity Grenade Launcher to the game. Going by the description Epic dropped in today's patch notes, we have a feeling the Proximity Grenade Launcher is going to be a pretty powerful weapon.

That's because the grenades you shoot from it explode when they're in close proximity to an opponent. The proximity radius for detonation is 250 units – so about half the width of a tile, Epic says – while the explosion radius is 300 units, so it sounds like if someone is close enough to set the grenade off, taking damage will be unavoidable.

Explosion damage tops out at 67/70 and environmental damage comes to 131/138, depending on rarity. The Proximity Grenade Launcher will drop in epic and legendary variants and can hold two explosive rounds being needing to be reloaded. Grenades will bounce off structures and other obstacles once fired, and if no one gets close enough to detonate the grenade, it'll explode after 10 seconds or when it's "nearly come to a stop."

In addition to the Proximity Grenade Launcher, two new limited-time modes are joining the game this week. The first is One Shot Duos, which turns down the gravity and puts players at 50 health. With only Sniper Rifles available, one-shot kills will be a major threat, but that's assuming you can hit the players who are soaring through the air thanks to that low gravity.

The second LTM this week is a big one: Horde Rush. In this mode, fiends are making a comeback, and you and your squadmates will have to travel between defense points to fight them back. In this mode, you'll earn points by killing fiends, destroying their spawners, and collecting score multipliers, with a special boss battle waiting for you at the end of the match.

Aside from adding the Proximity Grenade Launcher and those two LTMs, Epic has made a lot of tweaks drop chances for a number of items. For example, you now have a higher chance of finding Shotguns and legendary Infantry Rifles from floor loot, while items like the Storm Flip and the common Heavy Assault Rifle have a slightly lower chance of dropping. Be sure to check out Epic's full patch notes for more information on Fortnite's v9.21 content update and get ready to wreak some havoc with the Proximity Grenade Launcher.