PUBG weapons tier list (2026) — every gun ranked after the Rondo remaster

How we ranked them

This PUBG weapons tier list is current to Update 33.2 (July 2026) and the Rondo remaster. The list reflects solo and squad play in Master rank and above on PC, where attachment availability is at its highest and the meta is most refined.

We ranked every weapon by:

• DPS at typical engagement range (50-150m for ARs/DMRs, 200-400m for snipers, 0-30m for SMGs/shotguns)
• Recoil pattern difficulty — a weapon that needs three attachments to be usable ranks lower than one that's good out of the box
• Time-to-kill on a level-3 vest — the standard competitive benchmark
• Attachment ceiling — how much better the weapon gets with a full kit
• Pro pick rate from PGC 2025 and the current regional league season

The list is split into five sections by weapon class. Each section has its own tier ordering, but the S-tier overall weapons — the ones you should lock first — are the M416, AKM, Beryl M762, AUG A3, SLR, and Mk12.

Assault Rifles (ARs)

S Tier

M416 — The most beginner-friendly AR and still the highest overall pick rate in competitive PUBG. The 5.56mm damage is mediocre, but the recoil pattern is the easiest in the game and the attachment ceiling is the deepest. Every grip, every sight, every muzzle works. The M416 is the AR you never get punished for picking. Its only weakness is the Beryl at very long range and the AKM at very short range.

Beryl M762 — The highest skill-ceiling AR. 7.62mm damage, 2-3 shot kill potential on a level-2 vest, and the recoil pattern that separates good players from great ones. Pre-Update 33.2, the Beryl's first-shot recoil was nerfed; post-33.2, the 12-shot ceiling is back. The Beryl is the most picked AR in PGC 2025 and the current regional league season, but only on PC — controller players struggle with the recoil.

AUG A3 — The airdrop-only AR that's the best close-to-mid-range AR in the game. The AUG's recoil is the lowest of any AR, the damage matches the Beryl, and the integrated 4x scope is the best in the game. The downside is rarity — AUGs only come from airdrops and the new boss crates in 33.2, so you'll see one in 1 in 4 games. When you see one, pick it.

A Tier

AKM — The 7.62mm workhorse. The AKM is the highest-damage common AR, with 1-2 shot potential on a level-1 vest. The recoil is harder than the M416 but easier than the Beryl. The AKM is the meta pick on Rondo and Deston (the close-range urban maps) where its damage advantage matters more than its recoil ceiling.

M16A4 — The burst-fire AR. Out of the meta since 2023 but the M16 is still a strong long-range pick in solo queue. The 3-round burst is lethal at 100m+ if you can time it. Most players undervalue it because they try to spam it like a full-auto.

B Tier

SCAR-L — The middle-of-the-road AR. The SCAR does everything okay and nothing great. The recoil is the second-easiest after the M416, the damage is the same 5.56, but the attachment ceiling is lower. Pick it if you find one and there's nothing else; skip if you have a choice.

Groza — The airdrop-only 7.62mm AR with the highest close-range DPS in the game but unusable at long range. The Groza is the meta CQC weapon in 2026 — Rondo and the new urban areas reward the close-range burst damage. Outside of CQC, the Groza is outclassed by everything.

C Tier

Mk47 Mutant — The burst-fire 7.62mm AR. The Mk47 is the same as the M16 but with 7.62 damage and harder recoil. The two-round burst is too inconsistent to be competitive; pick it only if there's nothing else.

D Tier

G36C — The Vikendi-only AR. The G36C's damage is the same as the M416 but the recoil is higher and the attachment ceiling is lower. The G36C was buffed in 2024 and is still outclassed by every other AR in the game.

DMRs (Designated Marksman Rifles)

S Tier

SLR — The highest-DPS DMR in the game. The SLR's 7.62mm damage 1-shots a level-2 helmet on a headshot and 2-shots a level-3 vest to the body. The recoil is high but manageable with a vertical grip and compensator. The SLR is the most-picked DMR in PGC 2025 and the meta pick for solo queue — the time-to-kill advantage over the SKS is real.

Mk12 — The 5.56mm DMR with the lowest recoil in the class. The Mk12's damage is lower than the 7.62 DMRs but the recoil is so much easier that it wins out in the hands of most players. The Mk12 is the best DMR for the first 4-5 attachments you find — it gets accurate fast and stays accurate out to 300m.

A Tier

SKS — The 7.62mm DMR that was the meta before the SLR buff. The SKS is still a strong pick but the SLR does the same job with higher damage. Pick the SKS over the SLR only if you can't find the attachments the SLR needs.

Mini14 — The 5.56mm DMR that nobody talks about. The Mini14's damage is low and the recoil is low. The Mini14 is the best DMR for the first 30 seconds of a game — it's accurate out of the box, takes a quickdraw mag, and works as a budget sniper until you find something better.

B Tier

QBU — The Sanhok-only DMR. The QBU's bipod and integrated suppressor are nice but the damage is the same as the Mini14 and the recoil is higher. The QBU is a Sanhok-specific meta pick; outside of Sanhok, skip it.

C Tier

VSS — The suppressed 9mm DMR that was nerfed into the ground in 2024. The VSS's damage is too low and the recoil is too high for the role. The only reason to pick it up is the integrated suppressor and 4x scope. As a secondary weapon for sneaky play, the VSS is okay. As a primary DMR, skip it.

DP-28 — The LMG-class DMR. The DP-28's 47-round mag is the best in the game and the recoil is the lowest. The damage is the same as the SKS but the fire rate is much lower. The DP-28 is the meta support weapon for squad play where you need sustained fire, not for solo queue.

Snipers

S Tier

AWM — The airdrop-only .300 magnum that 1-shots everything except a level-3 helmet. The AWM is the most-picked sniper in competitive PUBG and the reason airdrops are worth contesting. The AWM's only weakness is the rarity — you'll see one in 1 in 5 games.

M24 — The 7.62mm bolt-action that was the meta sniper before the AWM was buffed. The M24 is still the best common sniper in the game — high damage, low recoil, the secondary stats are all good. The M24 is the sniper you use for the first half of every game and upgrade from when you find an AWM.

A Tier

Kar98k — The 7.62mm bolt-action that everyone knows. The Kar98k is the most iconic sniper in PUBG and still a strong pick. The damage is the same as the M24 but the recoil is higher. Pick the Kar98k if it's all you find; pick the M24 over it every time.

Lynx AMR — The new anti-materiel rifle from Update 33.2. The Lynx is the highest-damage sniper in the game (it 1-shots a level-3 vest to the chest) and has a 5-round mag. The Lynx is airdrop-only and the rarity is the same as the AWM. When the Lynx shows up, it's the best sniper in the game; until then, it doesn't.

B Tier

Win94 — The lever-action that nobody picks. The Win94 does the same damage as the Kar98k but with a lever-action delay and an iron-sight-only restriction. The Win94 is a meme gun; pick it up only as a last resort.

C Tier

Mk14 — The 7.62mm DMR/sniper hybrid. The Mk14 is fully automatic and can be suppressed, but the recoil is the highest in the game and the ammo is heavy. The Mk14 is the meta support sniper for squad play (one player holds the angle, the rest push); in solo queue, the AWM and M24 do the same job with less effort.

SMGs (Submachine Guns)

S Tier

MP5K — The 9mm SMG with the highest close-range DPS in the game. The MP5K was buffed in 2024 and is now the meta CQC weapon — the time-to-kill on a level-2 vest at 0-20m is the best in the game. The MP5K is the pick for the new Rondo urban areas and for the CQC end-game circles.

Vector — The .45 ACP SMG with the fastest time-to-kill in the game. The Vector's 25-round mag (extended to 35) is the limiting factor — the Vector dumps a mag in 2 seconds. The Vector is the best CQC weapon if you can land every shot; below Master rank, the MP5K's higher per-shot damage is more forgiving.

A Tier

UMP45 — The .45 ACP SMG that was the meta before the Vector buff. The UMP is still a strong pick — 35-round mag, low recoil, decent damage. The UMP is the best budget SMG for the first half of every game.

P90 — The new SMG from the 2025 crate update. The P90's 50-round mag is the best in the SMG class and the damage is decent. The P90 is the meta squad support weapon; in solo queue, the MP5K and Vector are better for the same role.

B Tier

UZI — The 9mm SMG with the highest fire rate in the game. The UZI's damage is too low and the mag is too small (25, extended to 35) for the meta. The UZI is a CQC-only weapon that's outclassed by the MP5K in every way.

JS9 — The Chinese-made SMG that was added in 2024. The JS9 is the same as the MP5K with a smaller mag and higher recoil. Skip it.

C Tier

Tommy Gun — The .45 ACP SMG from the original PUBG. The Tommy's 100-round mag is the best in the game but the damage is too low and the recoil is too high. The Tommy is a meme gun; pick it up only if you need a mag wall and nothing else is available.

Shotguns

S Tier

DBS — The double-barrel pump shotgun from the 2024 crate update. The DBS holds 14 rounds and shoots two at a time. The DBS is the best close-range shotgun in the game — 1-shot kills on a level-2 vest at 0-10m are consistent. The DBS is the only shotgun worth carrying in 2026.

A Tier

S12K — The auto-loading shotgun. The S12K's 8-round mag and auto fire make it the best squad support shotgun. The S12K is the meta pick for duo and squad play where one player runs the shotgun to clear buildings. In solo queue, the DBS is better for the same role.

S1897 — The 7-round pump shotgun. The S1897 is the best common shotgun in the game — high damage, fast pump, 7 rounds. Pick the S1897 over the S686 every time.

B Tier

S686 — The 2-round double-barrel shotgun. The S686's 2-shot limit makes it the highest-risk shotgun in the game. The S686 is a CQC-only weapon that rewards the first shot. Most players pick the S1897 over it.

Sidearms

A Tier

R45 — The .45 revolver. The R45 is the best sidearm in the game — high damage, fast reload, decent accuracy. The R45 is the meta pistol for the late-game CQC end-game circles.

B Tier

P18C — The 9mm auto-pistol. The P18C's auto fire makes it the best CQC pistol. The damage is too low to be a primary weapon but the P18C is a strong secondary in a pinch.

P1911 — The .45 semi-auto pistol. The P1911 is the most common pistol in the game and the best default sidearm. The P1911 is the weapon you pick up as a placeholder until you find a real gun.

C Tier

R1895 — The 7-shot revolver. The R1895's damage is high but the reload is too slow. The R1895 is a niche pick for the first 30 seconds of a game before you find a real weapon.

Flare Gun — The call-to-signal sidearm. The Flare Gun doesn't deal damage but it calls in an airdrop. The Flare Gun is the best sidearm in the game if you know how to use it; most players don't.

D Tier

Skorpion — The 9mm machine pistol. The Skorpion is the worst weapon in the game — low damage, high recoil, the mag is too small. Pick up only if you have literally nothing else.

What's next

The PUBG meta shifts every 2-3 patches, and the next major update (Update 33.3, expected September 2026) is rumored to add a new weapon class. The next tier list will be updated after the patch lands.

For loadout advice that uses this tier list, see the PUBG beginner's guide — it covers the three loadout archetypes and how to pick which S-tier weapons to run.