Arc Raiders best guns tier list (December 2025) (original) (raw)

What are the best guns to use in Arc Raiders for both PvP and PvE? As I'm sure you're aware by now, Arc Raiders is an extraction shooter. Every time you start a raid, your gear is vulnerable. If you die, you're not getting your weapons back again. That's why it's so important to balance a weapon's performance with its value, its rarity, and the ease with which you can craft and upgrade it.

There are 21 different guns in Arc Raiders, categorised both by the gun's type and its rarity. The rarity of a gun is fixed, meaning you can't find the same weapon in two different rarities. To improve a gun, you need to upgrade it at your Gunsmith bench in your Workshop, or add weapon mods to it from your inventory.

If you're struggling to figure out the strengths of a particular weapon, or you're looking for a fuller understanding of the entire gun roster, this is the best tier list guide for you. Below, I'll walk you through all 21 guns in Arc Raiders (including the new Aphelion Battle Rifle), their individual stats, and the situations in which each one excels. You can also take a look at our overall gun tier list showcasing the very best guns in the game, if you want a quicker answer to which weapons you should prioritise for your next raid.

Arc Raiders best guns tier list

Below is our overall tier list of all 21 weapons in Arc Raiders, taking into account important attributes such as damage, weight, handling, the necessity of upgrades, and more. Further down this page, you can read our full notes on every gun, to really solidify your expertise of the Arc Raiders weapons arsenal and improve your performance no matter what you bring into each raid.

This tier list deliberately does not take into account how early or easily you can acquire each weapon, to give you a full idea of each weapon's performance levels. But it's important to remember that it will take plenty of time before you even encounter rare or epic-level weaponry in Arc Raiders - and you'll often need to find a weapon's Blueprint before you can craft it yourself - so when you're just starting out, a single Il Toro or Arpeggio will be very valuable to you.

Read on for our rundown of all 21 guns in Arc Raiders from best to worst, along with a description of each gun's strengths and drawbacks. I've also included detailed stats on every weapon further below, so you can more comprehensively compare the various guns in your own vault back at Speranza.

1. Anvil

The Anvil is almost too strong in the current Arc Raiders gun meta, relative to how early and easily you can access it. Play a couple hours of raids and you'll easily have enough gear to craft at least a couple of Anvils. And that's crazy, because this Uncommon-rarity gun is better than most Rare or Epic weapons you'll find in the game.

This punchy Hand Cannon doesn't quite have the effective range of a Ferro or Renegade, but it delivers similar stopping power in a fast-firing and very lightweight package. Packing 6 shots and offering Strong ARC Armor Penetration, it's a very reliable weapon against any threat. If you're good under pressure, pair it with a Ferro for a cheap and exceptionally powerful early loadout; or match it with a full-auto weapon like the Stitcher (or later, a Torrente or Tempest) for a very well-rounded PvP build.

2. Venator

The Venator is a favourite of mine, for a few reasons. First, it's a pistol, so it's very lightweight (though not quite as light as it used to be). Like the Anvil, it packs a very formidable punch into such a small package, thanks both to its fast semi-auto fire rate and the fact that each pull of the trigger fires two bullets at once.

The largest downside of the Venator in my experience is its poor default magazine size, so you should pair it with a Medium Extended Magazine as early as possible. It's also well worth upgrading the Venator to Rank IV to max out its fire rate. Only then does it become one of the most powerful guns in Arc Raiders.

3. Renegade

The Renegade is a Battle Rifle which easily outstrips its far more common competitor, the early-game Ferro. It deals slightly less damage than the Ferro, but fires much faster, and performs even better over long distances.

Another huge benefit of the Renegade is that each upgrade improves its fire rate. A Rank IV Renegade is a very scary weapon to go up against, and as long as you can hit your shots, it will treat you very well indeed. The Renegade is the weapon I would pick if I wanted the best chance of wiping out a squad of enemy Raiders by myself.

4. Bobcat

The Epic-rarity SMG known as the Bobcat is a very souped up version of the Stitcher. Comparing them side-by-side, the difference in damage potential is clear - as you'd expect comparing a Common SMG to an Epic SMG. The Bobcat's blistering fire rate can melt even heavily armoured enemy players very quickly.

Its only drawbacks are those we've all come to expect from SMGs in shooters - poor range and high recoil. It's easy to find PvP situations where the Bobcat is not a great choice, but in the right situations there's not much that can give the Bobcat a run for its money.

5. Vulcano

The Vulcano is an Epic semi-automatic Shotgun which deals colossal damage, but only up to a few metres. Still, it's the undisputed king of close-quarters combat, capable of dropping enemy players at record times, no matter how heavily armoured they are.

Thanks to the Vulcano's fast fire rate, it's also very forgiving, as you can quickly follow up your miss with a hit. The drawback is that you only get 4 shots before you need to reload, so it's an absolute priority to attach a magazine mod to any Vulcano you're lucky enough to pick up.

6. Ferro

The fan-favourite Ferro is easily the most dangerous starting weapon in Arc Raiders. A single-shot Battle Rifle which packs mighty damage behind each shot, a Ferro is the perfect early-game initiator. It's accurate, delivers high ARC Armor Penetration, and its damage remains high even over long ranges.

Just make sure you understand the Ferro's limitations. Don't try to rush someone with this gun after your first shot, because it's a very unforgiving rifle. Miss your next shot, and you're likely dead. Instead, start a fight with the Ferro, but then quickly switch to your faster-firing second weapon for an easy kill against anyone with a Light Shield.

Image credit: Nexon

7. Tempest

The Epic-rarity Tempest Assault Rifle is an extremely solid A-Tier gun, and a reliable primary weapon for anyone looking to fight either ARC or other raiders. It feels a fair bit like the starting Rattler, but improved in every way. Higher damage, a much larger magazine size, equivalent effective range, better ARC Armor Penetration, and slightly better handling stats as well.

It's tough to crown the king of Assault Rifles between the Tempest and the harder-hitting Bettina, but what tips the Tempest over the edge is that it only uses Medium Ammo instead of the more expensive Heavy Ammo.

8. Bettina

The Bettina is always a delight to use in Arc Raiders, and I've always loved particularly punchy ARs in shooters, so it's a personal favourite of mine. It feels great and hits very hard, with a lower-than-average fire rate which makes handling easier but still allows you to output massive damage in a short space of time.

The Bettina's biggest downside is that it's a full-auto weapon which uses Heavy Ammo, so each bullet of damage you deal costs more than almost any other gun. It's also pretty expensive to maintain and upgrade, but it reliably shreds both players and ARC, so you're generally getting your money's worth.

9. Osprey

The Osprey is the first true Sniper Rifle you're likely to come across. It comes uniquely pre-equipped with a long-range scope, which obviously makes it far easier to hit your shots over great distances. In this respect, if you're fighting a Ferro-armed player 150 metres away, you'll have a decent advantage. Not to mention, the Osprey hits a little bit harder than the Ferro with every shot.

The downside is its smaller niche compared to the Ferro. You can't unequip that long-ranged scope. So if a player manages to close the distance between you, then the Osprey becomes more of a liability than the powerful tool it once was, and you'd be better suited using almost any other weapon.

10. Stitcher

The Stitcher is your starting SMG in Arc Raiders. It's obviously only useful in close quarters - not strictly because of its damage falloff, but because the gun's bloom and low per-shot damage means there's no point using the Stitcher unless you're within just a few metres of your target.

If you compare DPS values, the Stitcher outshines the Rattler, and in fact has the highest DPS of any full-auto gun until you unlock the Torrente. So it certainly doesn't lack for power close up. It's a favourite of many players, because it's rare to have a weapon that's so easy to craft and upgrade which still holds its own against better-kitted enemy players.

11. Il Toro

The Il Toro is very strong in Arc Raiders, simply because it's a hard-hitting Shotgun in a third-person shooter. Its range is as short as you would expect, so it's unlikely to be your friend while you're out in the open; but when fighting a squad of raiders in a darkened corridor, the Il Toro is excellent.

If you land your shots squarely on your target, then you're likely to kill in 2-3 shots. The key takeaway is: don't expect to kill them with just one shot. Your goal is to peek, shoot, then return to cover. Then peek again, shoot, and return to cover. In the heat of the moment, it's very hard for a player to muster up any answer to this tactic.

12. Aphelion

The experimental Aphelion Battle Rifle feels like a cross between a Renegade and an Arpeggio. Each pull of the trigger fires two shots - and as a Legendary-tier Battle Rifle, it unsurprisingly packs quite a punch.

Unfortunately, as with all Legendaries in Arc Raiders, the Aphelion's stats don't really justify the expense or rarity. The Renegade is more versatile, nearly as strong, and far less overt.

13. Jupiter

The mighty Jupiter is an endgame Sniper Rifle which uses Energy Clips to fire massively powerful shots over great distances, with very little damage falloff. It comes with no attachment slots, and the fact that it requires Energy Clips is an obvious downside.

But when it comes to ending fights before they begin, there's little better than a headshot with a Jupiter. It's up to you to decide whether that makes it worth the cost and risk of bringing one in, when a simple Ferro can still bring you 75% of the way there.

14. Torrente

The bulky Torrente is the only LMG currently in Arc Raiders. It's the heaviest gun in the game, and so it slows you down quite a bit while you have it equipped. It also suffers from a lot of bloom and inaccuracy. You're noticeably more accurate while crouching, but it's still a big disadvantage.

On the flipside, the Torrente packs massive and consistent damage, outpacing even the Epic-rarity Bettina for Damage Per Second. The Torrente also comes with a 60-round magazine by default, and this can be upgraded at the Gunsmith - not that you should consider this a priority. The Torrente is a gun I'd leave at Rank I, but used at fairly close-range it can melt enemy players and ARC alike.

Image credit: Embark Studios

15. Burletta

The Burletta is a fast-firing semi-automatic Uncommon Pistol. It's lightweight, fairly cheap, doesn't rely on upgrades to be useful, and packs quite a decent amount of damage. Against Light Shields, it can down an enemy raider very quickly.

There's nothing terribly bad to say about the Burletta - it's a tidy little sidearm, and a phenomenal pairing with the Ferro. It's just understandably outclassed by several larger and rarer guns.

16. Arpeggio

Many players are dismissive of the Arpeggio's three-round burst. But if you're lucky enough to find or craft one early on while you're still mostly facing Light Shields and Rattlers, you'll find this gun to be pretty lethal in capable hands.

The Arpeggio's greatest advantage is its accuracy and control. It's the first truly versatile weapon you'll find in Arc Raiders (other than the Anvil), with no massive downsides like the Rattler's low magazine capacity. Just don't expect it to hold a candle to the S-Tier roster.

17. Kettle

I do love how the Kettle feels, though it's clear that this Assault Rifle is outclassed by many rarer weapons. The Kettle is decently accurate, but it has very low damage per shot, and it's not even full-auto.

One thing it is worth noting about the Kettle is that, with the exception of the Hairpin and its integrated suppressor, the Kettle is the quietest gun in Arc Raiders. Again, not a terrible choice if you want to focus on a very light and stealthy loadout for your next raid.

18. Rattler

The Rattler suffers against ARC due to its low stability and punishingly poor magazine capacity, but early-game raiders will find it a decently strong ally in mid-range encounters with other players.

Unfortunately, the Rattler doesn't have a magazine attachment slot, so you are all but forced to upgrade the Rattler to at least rank III before you gain enough reliability to deal with PvP threats. This makes the Rattler a real pain to receive on a free loadout. Still, once you upgrade it, the Rattler makes for a strong early-game weapon.

19. Hullcracker

The Hullcracker is an unusual and expensive weapon which launches missiles that only deal damage to ARC. This makes it a pretty strange weapon to include in a best guns tier list, because if you try to use a Hullcracker in PvP, well, say goodbye to your Hullcracker.

Still, if you're hunting ARC parts then it's sometimes well worth hauling along a Hullcracker once you've reached the late stages of your progression. It fires surprisingly fast considering the massive damage it deals to ARC, and a Wolfpack with a single Hullcracker shot is enough to instantly destroy a Rocketeer.

Still, you're sacrificing a weapon slot to bring in a Hullcracker, so you only have your secondary weapon to deal with PvP threats. Combine this with the fact that using a Hullcracker makes you an immediate target to hostile raiders, and there's great risk associated with bringing one into a raid.

20. Equalizer

The experimental Equalizer is the only true beam weapon in Arc Raiders. Like the Hullcracker, it's designed almost exclusively for fighting ARC, rather than enemy players. The Equalizer's beam is extremely effective against ARC, and can very quickly melt through the more heavily armoured sections of ARC enemies.

If you want to use the Equalizer against another player, things don't go quite as well. The Equalizer has quite poor damage potential overall, and its beam is like a beacon telling players to come and kill you for your Legendary loot.

21. Hairpin

The Hairpin is honestly one of my favourite guns in Arc Raiders. It's the only weapon in the game with an integrated silencer, and it's very accurate. So despite its slow fire rate and poor damage, it's an excellent and very cheap sidearm for loot-focused missions where your aim is to remain stealthy rather than to pick a fight with other raiders.

It's a pistol with a niche, and it fills that niche very well, allowing you to silently destroy Pops, Ticks, Turrets, Cameras, and other small ARC without trouble. Just don't rely on it in a real fight, because its damage output is appalling.

Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Best early weapons in Arc Raiders

The earliest weapons you can acquire in Arc Raiders are the Hairpin, Stitcher, Kettle, Rattler, and Ferro. These are the five Common-rarity guns which you can most readily craft or find during a raid.

The best weapons to use early on in Arc Raiders are:

• Ferro - Cheap to craft and upgrade, the Ferro hits like a truck - but you'll need to pair it with a faster gun.
• Stitcher - By far the best early-game full-auto weapon for most scenarios. With recoil and dispersion mods, it holds its own against most later guns.
• Hairpin - Near-useless in PvP, but extremely quiet and accurate. Perfect for taking out small ARC.

Best mid-game weapons in Arc Raiders

In the mid-game, you're most likely to use Uncommon (green) and Rare (blue) weapons. You might start to find these weapons after your first few hours, particularly if you like opening the loot caches inside Field Depots.

The best Uncommon and Rare guns in Arc Raiders are:

• Anvil - Hits as hard as a Ferro, but lighter and faster. The Anvil's so strong it might need a nerf.
• Venator - Top-tier power and versatility at close-to-mid-range, but needs to be fully upgraded to truly shine.
• Renegade - A tremendously powerful Rare Battle Rifle; accurate, versatile, and fast, especially when upgraded.

Best late-game weapons in Arc Raiders

Once you progress to the later stages of Arc Raiders progression, you'll start to see the very best guns in the game - Epic (purple) and Legendary (gold) varieties.

These are the very best late-game guns in Arc Raiders:

• Bobcat - A straight upgrade to the already excellent Stitcher. Extremely powerful in close-range.
• Vulcano - This Shotgun delivers the highest per-shot damage of any weapon in Arc Raiders.
• Tempest - A balanced late-game Assault Rifle with high damage and ammo efficiency.

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All Arc Raiders weapons and stats

To help you better understand the strengths and roles of each gun, below you can peruse the weapon stats of all 21 weapons in Arc Raiders, going over their damage, fire rate, ammo type, and more.

That wraps up our primer on all the guns in Arc Raiders, and our picks for the best guns to top our overall tier list. To help quicken your progression through the game so you can start using the very best guns, why not also check out our guide to the best skills in Arc Raiders? And don't neglect your closest companion: find out how to get Scrappy to max level fast. After that, you'll also need to make sure you upgrade your Gunsmith to Level 3 to be able to craft the very best guns - check out our guide on where to find Rusted Gears to make the hardest part of this task far easier!