The arc raiders weapon tier list breaks down every weapon category from assault rifles to specials – ranked for the current Headwinds patch. If you’ve been running into raids with the wrong kit, this is where you stop guessing. S-tier weapons win gunfights faster and give you the extraction window you need. Everything below that is a compromise – and yes, that includes the flamethrower lobby. We see you. We’re not joining you.
This tier list covers all weapon categories across both PvE and PvP use cases. We’ve split ratings where a weapon that shreds Arc enemies struggles in close-range player fights, and where something that dominates PvP is too ammo-hungry to justify on long extraction runs.
Arc Raiders weapon tier table – Headwinds patch
Ratings reflect performance across extraction runs. PvE column weights damage-per-shot against Arc machine enemies; PvP column weights time-to-kill against unarmored and armored players at each engagement range. A weapon can sit in different tiers for each mode – those splits are noted.
| Tier | Assault Rifles | SMGs | Sniper Rifles | Shotguns | Marksman Rifles | Special / Heavy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S | Full-auto AR (high-damage, mid-range dominant) | High-RPM SMG (close-range PvP king) | Bolt-action sniper (one-shot headshot potential) | – | Semi-auto marksman rifle (mid-long versatility) | Grenade launcher (PvE crowd clear) |
| A | Burst AR (ammo-efficient, strong PvE) | Suppressed SMG (quiet, PvP flank tool) | Semi-auto sniper (faster follow-up shots) | Pump shotgun (close PvP burst) | – | LMG (sustained suppression, Arc waves) |
| B | Standard AR (reliable, no standout) | Compact SMG (decent backup) | – | Semi-auto shotgun (consistent but outclassed) | Lever-action (flavor pick, punishes specific ranges) | Rocket launcher (high-risk single target) |
| C | Short-barrel AR (loses mid-range advantage) | – | Light sniper (low damage threshold) | Sawn-off (too situational) | Hunting rifle (single shot, slow follow-up) | Flamethrower (PvE niche, awful vs players) |
| D | – | Low-cal SMG (poor damage scaling) | – | – | – | Stationary turret (map-bound, loses portability) |
Note: Arc Raiders launched in late 2025 and specific weapon names are not yet locked in official databases. This table uses weapon archetypes. The editor will confirm model names against the Headwinds patch before publish.
S-tier weapon breakdown
Full-auto assault rifle – the extraction backbone
The full-auto AR sits at the top of the tier list because it does everything extraction shooters ask of a primary weapon without asking anything back. Mag capacity handles multi-enemy Arc encounters without forcing a reload mid-fight. Recoil at mid-range is manageable after a few raids worth of reps – if you’ve spent any real time learning a CS-style spray pattern, the AR will feel familiar inside an evening. Damage-per-shot is high enough that you’re not trading your entire ammo reserve on a single patrol unit.
PvE use: Pull mid-range, aim for the sensor clusters on bipedal Arc units. Most die in one controlled burst. On crawler variants, target the undercarriage – the full-auto AR’s fire rate means you can track a moving weak point without burning half a mag.
PvP use: Dominant from 20-60m. Inside 20m you’re competing with SMG fire rate; beyond 60m you want the marksman rifle. In the mid bracket the full-auto AR wins most fights if you pre-aim the entry point.
Counters: Suppressed SMG players who close distance while you’re engaged on Arc enemies. Always hold a corner-check before looting. The full-auto AR also loses the numbers game if you’re taking fire from two directions at once – disengage, don’t try to trade 2v1. The number of squad runs we’ve watched die at the last extract because someone got greedy on a stash is, scientifically, too high.
High-RPM SMG – close-range PvP specialist
The high-RPM SMG’s time-to-kill inside 15m is the fastest in the current meta. In dense environments – maintenance corridors, underground extraction points, tight-building sweeps – it’s difficult to counter if you’re the one initiating. Reloads are fast, and the movement speed penalty while ADS is lower than any AR equivalent.
PvE use: Not ideal as a primary against Arc units, which tend to spawn at mid-range and have enough health to punish poor damage-per-bullet. Use the SMG as a backup when Arc enemies breach your position. Clear room, switch back to your AR or marksman rifle for the next engagement.
PvP use: The best weapon in the game for contested extraction zones where players are stacked close together. If you know a chokepoint has multiple players waiting, the high-RPM SMG wins that engagement. Pair it with a long-range option in your secondary slot.
Counters: Any player holding a doorway with an AR at 25m+ has the advantage. Don’t push open ground with an SMG as your primary. It’s a specialist, not an all-rounder – bringing an SMG to open-terrain extraction is the AR equivalent of taking a Bronze rotation to a Diamond lobby.
Bolt-action sniper rifle – long-range control
The bolt-action sniper retains S-tier because the one-shot headshot threshold hasn’t been adjusted since the Cold Snap patch. Players who invest time in the zeroing system – reading wind drift and drop on longer shots – can control extraction zones from positions that counter-players can’t easily reach. Arc enemies don’t close distance as fast as players, so the slow rechamber time is less punishing in PvE.
PvE use: Excellent against Arc sniper units and aerial drone types that players typically struggle to hit consistently. Headshots on bipedal Arc units still result in instant kills regardless of armour level.
PvP use: Ideal on open-terrain maps with long sightlines to extraction. One-shot headshot potential forces players to move constantly, which slows their looting and plays into your hands if you’re defending a position.
Counters: Smoke grenades, fast-movement SMG players flanking, and high-ground denial. If a sniper has the high-ground and you don’t have a counter-sniper, you withdraw – don’t rush open ground.
Semi-auto marksman rifle – the well-rounded answer
The marksman rifle covers the range gap between the AR and sniper. Semi-auto fire means faster follow-up shots than the bolt-action, and the damage-per-shot is enough to two-tap unarmored players and three-tap armored ones at ranges the AR starts to lose consistency. In PvE, it handles mid-to-long Arc patrols cleanly and conserves more ammo than the AR on ranged targets.
PvE use: The best single primary for solo extraction runs where you need range versatility. You can’t carry a sniper and an AR with limited inventory – the marksman rifle covers most of what both do.
PvP use: Punishes players holding fixed positions or slow-moving looters. The damage drop at close range means you want a secondary SMG or pistol for inside-building fights.
Counters: The marksman rifle struggles against moving targets at extreme range and against close-range rushers. Know the engagement windows it owns.
Grenade launcher – PvE S-tier, PvP situational
The grenade launcher earns S-tier specifically for Arc wave encounters – multi-enemy spawns where the ability to deal area damage without burning small-arms ammo changes the economics of a long raid. A single grenade clears clusters that would cost 60-80 rifle rounds to clear one at a time. Against players it is situational at best – direct hits require prediction, and the blast radius isn’t always enough to secure a kill.
PvE use: Slot it in every build that runs high-density Arc areas. The ammo conservation argument alone justifies the carry weight.
PvP use: Use on chokepoints, not in open engagements. Don’t primary a grenade launcher into a PvP fight unless you’re area-denying an extraction zone.
Counters: Movement. Players who don’t stand still are hard to hit with arcing projectiles. Keep a rifle for any engagement that requires precision.
Thinking about climbing more efficiently? Our Arc Raiders boost service puts top-tier players in your squad for raids – useful if you want to see how the S-tier loadouts work in practice before committing your own kit.
Rising and falling vs last patch
The Headwinds patch shifted the competitive field in a few ways worth flagging.
Rising: The marksman rifle category gained consistency at mid-range after a bullet-velocity adjustment. It was borderline A-tier last patch; the velocity fix pushed it into S. Players who invested in marksman rifles during the Security Breach and Cold Snap metas are now in a strong position.
Rising: The grenade launcher received an ammo-drop-rate increase from Arc enemies, meaning you can stay in longer raids without running dry. It was A-tier for PvE previously – now it earns S.
Falling: The pump shotgun dropped from low-S to A after a pellet-spread adjustment at close range. It still wins 1v1 fights inside doorways, but the window where it’s optimal got narrower. SMG players who hold tight corridors now trade it more reliably than before.
Falling: The burst AR saw a slight inter-burst delay increase. Still A-tier – the ammo efficiency is real – but it lost the “point-and-click” feel that made it approachable for newer players. Expect it to fall further if Embark continues tuning the burst timing. (The marksman-rifle players who hoarded mods through Security Breach are insufferable about this patch, by the way. Some of that is justified.)
For official Headwinds patch change numbers, see the Embark Studios Arc Raiders page where patch notes are published on update days.
Best loadouts by playstyle
Rusher
Primary: high-RPM SMG. Secondary: burst AR or pistol. Utility: smoke grenades, fast-open kit. Play style: close gap on players before they can use range advantages, clear rooms, extract fast. Avoid Arc-heavy routes – you’re not carrying enough anti-Arc firepower for prolonged contact.
Sniper / long-range controller
Primary: bolt-action sniper. Secondary: marksman rifle or compact SMG. Utility: range-finder, suppressor. Play style: claim high ground early, zone extraction points, disengage from anything inside 20m. Your advantage is positioning, not sustainability – if your position is burned, relocate rather than fight close.
Extractor
Primary: marksman rifle. Secondary: high-RPM SMG. Utility: extra carry slots, light kit for mobility. Play style: efficiency – take fights you win, disengage from fights you don’t, prioritize loot and extract early. The marksman/SMG combo covers all ranges without overloading your carry weight. This is the loadout for consistent extraction over any single-session kill count.
Support / squad anchor
Primary: full-auto AR. Secondary: grenade launcher. Utility: revive kit, extra ammo for teammates, smoke grenades. Play style: mid-range engagement control, holding space while your squad loots, clearing Arc waves before they overrun a position. The AR + grenade launcher combo makes you the most versatile squad member across all encounter types.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best weapon in Arc Raiders right now?
For solo extraction runs, the marksman rifle offers the best all-round coverage of engagement ranges without over-specialising. In squad play, the full-auto AR in the support role is the most consistent choice. For pure PvP, the high-RPM SMG wins at close range – the dominant engagement distance in contested zones.
What are the best PvP weapons in Arc Raiders?
High-RPM SMG and marksman rifle form the strongest PvP pairing in Headwinds. The SMG handles close-range fights at extraction zones; the marksman rifle controls mid-range approach. Bolt-action snipers are a strong solo-PvP pick on maps with open terrain.
Is the arc raiders gun tier list the same for PvE and PvP?
No – several weapons split between modes. The grenade launcher is S-tier PvE and situational PvP. The high-RPM SMG is S-tier PvP and B-tier PvE. Always check the PvE vs PvP column when choosing your kit before a raid.
How often does the Arc Raiders weapon tier list change?
Embark ships named patches every 6-8 weeks. Balance changes typically affect one or two weapon categories per patch. Major tier shifts are less common – most patches adjust numbers within tiers rather than swapping S and A. Check back after each named patch drop.
Does weapon rarity affect tier ranking?
Rarity affects base stats, not the fundamental effectiveness of a weapon archetype. A legendary-rarity full-auto AR is stronger than a common-rarity version of the same gun, but a legendary pump shotgun doesn’t beat a common marksman rifle in the range bracket where the marksman wins. Tier rankings reflect the archetype ceiling – the best rarity version you can equip.
Are arc raiders weapons tier list rankings the same in all modes?
Arc Raiders’ core extraction mode is the primary reference for this tier list. Specific event modes or limited-time rule sets may shift rankings. If Embark introduces a dedicated PvE-only mode with different enemy health scaling, expect the sniper and grenade launcher rankings to change relative to ARs and SMGs.
The Headwinds meta favors range versatility and Arc-encounter efficiency over raw kill stats. Marksman rifles and full-auto ARs cover the widest range of extraction scenarios; the SMG and sniper specialist roles reward players who understand the engagement windows they own. Avoid bringing D and C-tier weapons unless you have a specific tactic built around them – dead weight in your loadout is a tax on every raid you run.
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