PUBG weapons tier list: Best guns across every map

Speedy SMGs and high-powered sniper rifles dominate the battlefield in PUBG, but every weapon type has a couple of powerful options. Between the few dozen guns available in the popular battle royale, there’s a perfect fit for every competitive gamer.

Our list ranks the arsenal of guns in PUBG by usefulness, as well as explaining a bit about each of the best weapons available across every map.

Esports Insider has created a ranking of all the PUBG weapons for an accurate comparison. The guns are ranked by overall damage, fire rate, availability, and other important factors.

The breakdown below identifies why each weapon is where it is in our PUBG weapons tier list.

This PUBG weapons ranking provides a brief explanation of where each gun falls in our tier list.

The weapons we’ve highlighted below stand out in PUBG, which could be due to overall strength, unique abilities, or noticeable drawbacks, including a lack of power. Here’s what you need to know about the best weapons in PUBG: Battlegrounds.

Only four PUBG guns are S-Tier material. As a piece of airdrop equipment, the MG3 can shoot many rounds per minute, making it a great defence against incoming enemies. For something more ordinary, the Beryl M762 is an AR with a fast fire rate and decent range, making it perfect for any gunfight.

One of the best sniper rifles in PUBG is the AWM since it packs a punch and offers good range. The last S-Tier gun is the M416, as it’s more versatile than other assault rifles in PUBG due to its balanced stats, plus it has access to a wide variety of special modifications. 

S-Tier weapons are the best that PUBG has to offer in 2025, so you should master these guns if they fit your playstyle.

You’ll find that many A-Tier weapons in PUBG are close-range guns because SMGs like the Vector and P90 have incredible rates of fire, but with range on the lower side. If you’re skilled with sniper rifles, then the Kar98k may be your new favourite PUBG gun, though it takes a while to adjust to this weapon.

The Lynx AMR is another great option for players seeking a weapon that can shoot bullets at faraway enemies because it has high damage and range, which makes up for its slow fire rate. As our final A-Tier mention, the QBZ is perfect for any encounter at close or mid-range, though its damage per bullet is on the lower end.

A-Tier has its fair share of powerful guns, but many of them have a downside or don’t offer any special features.

Starting off in B-Tier, the Pan can deal heavy damage for a melee weapon and protect you from flying bullets. The assault rifles in B-Tier, such as the AKM and Groza, offer players balanced options with moderate range and fire rates, but they don’t stand out compared to better ARs.

Handguns like the Deagle and Skorpion are some of the best sidearms in PUBG, even if they can’t compete with higher-tiered primary weapons. Switching to close-range, the S686 Shotgun deals massive damage per shot, but it’s best for close-combat.

There’s plenty of fun and effective weaponry in B-Tier, but these guns come with notable flaws.

Our tier list ranked many pistols in C-Tier, and quite a few melee weapons, too. The Tommy Gun may be useful at close range, but it suffers major drawbacks when faced with an enemy across the huge battlefield. The Micro Uzi also has a limited range, a common theme among weaker guns in PUBG.

The melee weapons we’ve ranked as C-Tier are all useful in a split-second situation, but B-Tier’s Pan remains the best melee weapon in PUBG due to its protective abilities. C-Tier weapons aren’t by any means the weakest, but they’re treading the line.

There are only a few weapons in PUBG that belong in the lowest rank. The Sawed-Off is a fairly weak shotgun due to its low fire rate and limited range. The R45 isn’t much better. As one of PUBG’s weakest handguns, the R45’s stability and range have always left a lot to be desired.

Both of our D-Tier guns are among the least powerful of that weapon type due to low stats, but don’t be shy to pick them up if they’re all you can find.

Our weapons ranking covers the most useful guns in PUBG, along with the weapons that aren’t worth picking up. If you want to be the best battle royale competitor, then it’s important to stay up to date on which guns are the strongest.

Battle royales can be difficult, so knowing about the most powerful weapons in PUBG is a key part of achieving victory.