Fortnite’s latest update introduces two new unstable exotic Fortnite weapons: the Thunderclap DMR and Bounce Grenades. These aren’t found in regular loot chests or ground spawns. Instead, you’ll need to defeat the Overlord Spires, the large purple spires scattered across the map. After defeating the spire boss, you’ll receive a random unstable exotic, meaning there’s no guarantee you’ll get the new DMR or grenades on your first try.
With these additions, the exotic loot pool from spires now holds five different unstable weapons, decreasing the odds of getting any specific one. While this variety might seem exciting, it also hurts the drop rate for fan favorites like the exotic Sentinel Pump or Burst Pistol.
The exotic Thunderclap DMR can also be purchased from the Midas NPC at Utopia City. You’ll need to complete expertise quests tied to the DMR weapon category. The gold cost may vary depending on your quest progress. As of now, the exotic Bounce Grenades are not available from any NPC, despite an earlier news tab hinting that Night Rose might carry them.
Thunderclap DMR Damage and Drop Explained
The Thunderclap DMR has a unique effect: every third shot (specifically, the 1st, 4th, 7th, and 10th bullet) in the mag triggers an explosive hit, adding 40 bonus explosive damage to the regular 50 base damage. That means if one of these explosive shots lands, it does a total of 90 damage—not bad on paper.
But in practice, this exotic has issues. Its base stats match the rare (blue) DMR, making it underwhelming outside of those explosive shots. Even worse, the bullet drop feels significantly heavier than other versions, especially when aiming at distant enemies. You’ll find yourself needing to lead your shots much higher, which throws off rhythm and makes tracking moving targets harder.
Add to that the high risk of missing key shots in fights—especially if you’re running pump plus DMR without a spray weapon to back it up—and the Thunderclap starts to lose value in your inventory. The mythic DMR from Korra Island still offers better overall performance with higher base damage and more reliable utility.
Bounce Grenades: Cool Concept, Poor Execution
The Unstable Bounce Grenades are the exotic version of frag grenades. Once thrown, they bounce around and explode on each impact, dealing 40 damage per bounce. It functions like a mini cluster bomb, and the bouncing makes it unpredictable in tight quarters.
However, there’s a critical flaw: you only get one grenade when you loot it from the spire. No stack of three—just a single use. That’s a terrible tradeoff considering the effort it takes to defeat a spire. Even though the bounce grenade is fun to use situationally (like flushing out enemies in buildings), the single-charge limitation makes it incredibly situational and not worth carrying over mobility or a scanner.
At this time, no NPCs sell the bounce grenades, despite a past in-game news hint pointing to the Night Rose vendor. It’s likely that Epic will update this in the near future, either increasing the drop quantity or adding an NPC seller.
Fortnite Exotic Availability and Impact on Loadouts
Let’s recap all five Fortnite exotic weapons currently available from spires:
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Thunderclap DMR
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Bounce Grenades
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Sentinel Pump Shotgun
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Exotic Burst Pistol
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Exotic Outlaw
Of these, the pump shotgun is considered the strongest, but your chances of getting it have dropped to around 20% now that five exotics are in the pool.
Thankfully, a few exotics are also available via NPCs if you’ve completed the necessary expertise quests:
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Midas at Utopia City sells the DMR
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Jonesy at Supernova Academy offers the Burst Pistol
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Shadowblade Hope at Supernova Academy offers the Outlaw
If you’re hunting for the pump, however, the only option is spire drops, so expect more grind and RNG. Neither of the two new exotics shake up the meta much, and many players are already labeling them loot pool bloat. Until drop mechanics or stack sizes change, most players will stick to old favorites.
