A first look at the leaked ‘Proximity Launcher’ coming to Fortnite Battle Royale

An old adage states that “as one door is closed, another is opened,” but in Fortnite that would be “as one OP weapon is vaulted, another is introduced.”

There have been many periods in Fortnite’s history where weapons are introduced at a high power level and must be nerfed if not removed entirely. Now there is a new weapon on the horizon, and it seems like this one could be quite strong.

We reported on the ‘Proximity Launcher’ just yesterday, but at that time it wasn’t clear if it was just a STW exclusive, and we didn’t have any more files besides a picture. Now we have an in-game render from @KrispyLeaks of the new weapon to share.

[LEAK] The new Proximity Launcher in-game!

Currently only swapped the meshes, will probably try to swap the textures and anims so I can really show some gameplay..#Fortnite pic.twitter.com/4E6Fj0smZG

— KrispyLeaks – Fortnite Leaks/News (@KrispyLeaks) June 7, 2019

While we can’t actually see the weapon being used, KrispyLeaks is in the process of switching out the necessary files to get the gameplay and that should be added to this article soon. People who are familiar with weaponry have identified this launcher as a XM25.

That may or may not be how this weapon works in Fortnite Battle Royale, but considering that would be a unique mechanic compared to other launchers in the game, it seems likely that will be close to how it works.

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On the surface, that sounds pretty powerful. Almost like a Boom Bow with added aiming. We also have the stats for the new weapon, which have a relatively tame damage compared to other launchers in the game.

Now we will need to wait and see how it works when it is introduced. Each weapon added to the game – and really every decision made – will be amplified as we approach the World Cup.

Here are the stats as shown above for the Proximity Grenade Launcher:

Rarity: Epic/Legendary
Damage: 67/70
Fire rate: 0.65/0.65 (per second i think)
Mag Size: 2/2
Reload Time: 2.99725/2.8395
Environmental Damage: 131/138
Ammo Type: Rockets

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Whatever meta Epic chooses for the most lucrative esports tournament of all time will be picked apart heavily by the competitive community and mainstream esports journalists.