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Battlefield 2042 best guns: the best weapons in Battlefield 2042

The best guns in Battlefield 2042 will help you dominate in every mode

A helicopter deploys soldiers onto a desert Hazard Zone in Battlefield 2042.
Hayden Hefford avatar
Guide by Hayden Hefford Former Guides Writer
Updated on

Want to know the best weapon in Battlefield 2042? Battlefield 2042 gives a lot more freedom by removing the class system, allowing you to freely pick any weapon to adapt to different situations. With 19 weapons to try, it's not easy to immediately know which you should be using. Fortunately, we've scoured through them all and picked out the best weapons in Battlefield 2042. Below, we'll provide a full ranked weapon tier list for Battlefield 2042, and we'll also dive deeper into some of our favourite guns to explain why they need to be in your loadout.

Dice currently have several patches planned to fix various issues and concerns that players have raised since launch. The first of these patches dropped recently, nerfing the PP-29 by increasing recoil while tightening the spread on various automatic weapons to make them more accurate. This has slightly changed the order of our list, but you'll see below that the PP-29 is still the best gun in Battlefield 2042, despite the recent changes.

Cover image for YouTube videoBattlefield 2042 Gameplay | New Look At Battlefield Portal
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At launch, there are 19 primary weapons in Battlefield 2042, along with 3 pistols. Of course, this is only in the All Out Warfare mode. In Battlefield Portal, you can use weapons from games across the Battlefield franchise, including Battlefield 1942, Bad Company 2, and Battlefield 3. We’ll explain our top picks out of the Battlefield 2042 guns below, but first you can see our full weapon tier list.

Here is a full list of every gun in Battlefield 2042, ranked from best to worst:

  1. PP-29
  2. SVK
  3. LCMG
  4. AK-24
  5. PBX-45
  6. M5A3
  7. SWS-10
  8. MP9
  9. K30
  10. NTW-50
  11. DXR-1
  12. MCS-880
  13. DM7
  14. AC-42
  15. PKP-PB
  16. 12M Auto
  17. SFAR-M
  18. VCAR
  19. GVT 45-70

Battlefield 2042 best guns

The PP-29 SMG pictured in the Battlefield 2042 loadout screen.

PP-29

The PP-29 is the second SMG you’ll unlock in Battlefield 2042, and gosh it’s good. With almost no recoil and a quick time-to-kill, the PP-29 outclasses every other gun in Battlefield 2042, and that’s without attachments. We recommend equipping the PP-29 in most loadouts as soon as you unlock it at level 18.

After leveling the PP-29 up and unlocking the Champion Muzzle Brake and High-Power ammo, you can make it an absolute laser, capable of downing enemies extremely fast. It also has a high ammo count compared to other SMGs and Assault Rifles, meaning you can face an entire squad of enemies without needing to run to cover and reload. With most Assault Rifles and Sniper Rifles much weaker than expected in the current meta, most players are turning to the PP-29 thanks to it's fantastic range and accuracy.

The PP-29 also takes the top spot in our list of the best loadouts in Battlefield 2042. Check out that guide to find the ideal PP-29 setup, as well as loadouts for the SVK and LCMG, which are the next weapons on this list.

The SVK Sniper Rifle pictured in the Battlefield 2042 loadout screen.

SVK

Like the PP-29, the SVK is the second Marksman Rifle available in Battlefield 2042, unlocked very early at level 14. With the SVK, you can settle down into a sniper nest and score easy two-shot kills to the body and one-shot kills to the head across the map. This makes it the most powerful Marksman Rifle in Battlefield 2042, but it currently also performs much better than Battlefield 2042's Sniper Rifles.

With similar range and damage, the main difference between the SVK and the Sniper Rifles available in Battlefield 2042 is their respective fire rates. Since the SVK is faster, it's actually able to kill enemies quicker, even if you need to land two body shots for the kill. If you aren’t confident with sniping across the map and struggle with lead time and bullet drop, the SVK is much more forgiving, as the faster fire rate makes it easy to quickly adjust and fire again before the enemy reacts.

LCMG displayed in the Battlefield 2042 loadout screen. Other weapons can be seen pictured at the bottom. Text on the left describes the LCMG.

LCMG

With an impressive magazine size and minimal recoil, the LCMG absolutely deserves a place on our list of the best guns. After a short burst of initial recoil, the LCMG becomes very easy to control. The bullet spread makes it inaccurate at long-range without attachments, but it is perfect for suppressing objectives on the approach and then clearing them when you're up close. The damage is much higher than most Assault Rifles, making the LCMG perfect for shredding through enemy defenses.

The LCMG has much slower handling than most other guns on this list, so if you are used to running-and-gunning then you'll need to adjust your playstyle accordingly. However, once you find the appropriate rhythm, you'll rack up enough kills to make your teammates jealous.

AK-24 in the loadout menu in Battlefield 2042, with descriptive text on the left

AK-24

While it had high damage and lots of potential before, the bullet spread and recoil made the AK-24 inaccurate and hard to control. However, after the recent patch, the AK-24 has shot up our list. The bullet spread changes make shots fly much straighter, making it easier to drop enemies rather than just leaving bullet holes scattered around them like a strange silhouette. This newfound accuracy combined with the high stopping power make the AK-24 a formidable weapon and the best Assault Rifle currently available in Battlefield 2042.

Check out our AK-24 loadout if you want to create a setup that is powerful and accurate at medium range in Battlefield 2042.

The PBX-45 SMG pictured in the Battlefield 2042 loadout screen.

PBX-45

While it doesn't have the range of the PP-29, the slightly higher handling and faster fire rate still make the PBX-45 an SMG worthy of a spot on this list. The high fire rate gives it a fast time-to-kill that rivals the PP-29, while the better handling stats make it easy to swivel around and rinse entire teams before they can react.

However, the PBX's speed does give it an extra kick that you'll need to control if you want to be efficient at medium-range. Fortunately, since it is available at level 1, you can start leveling it up straight away. The PBX-45 is one of the best guns available for beginners who want to jump straight into the action with a powerful weapon.

Check out our PBX-45 loadout if you want to know how to build the perfect short-medium range setup in Battlefield 2042.

The M5A3 Assault Rifle pictured in the Battlefield 2042 loadout screen.

M5A3

The M5A3 is an extremely versatile weapon, and it's probably the first weapon many of you will try in Battlefield 2042. It is well-balanced between damage, accuracy, range, and handling, making it one of Battlefield 2042's best weapons overall. It also has much better recoil control than other Assault Rifles, so you can easily place your shots at medium-range and control objectives.

While the AK-24 is certainly more accurate since the recent patch, we still found it to be slightly harder to control than the M5A3. The AK-24 is a stronger Assault Rifle overall, but the M5A3 is still a viable alternative that you can use to place shots much easier.

Check out our M5A3 loadout if you prefer to use it over the AK-24.

That’s everything you need to know about the best guns in Battlefield 2042. This list will adapt and change over time, so be sure to check back often. When picking your gun, you’ll also need to spend time considering the best specialist for your playstyle. If you want to improve, check out our Battlefield 2042 tips and tricks. If you’d rather take to the skies, take a look at our guide on how to fly jets in Battlefield 2042 and how to use the wingsuit.

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