Helldivers 2 Recoilless Rifle – how to unlock and use

The Helldivers 2 Recoilless Rifle sounds great on paper – and it is. The massive damage it can dish out makes it a great choice, but you might disagree. It’s not the easiest weapon to use, but when used right, it can be a massive boost in your arsenal. That’s why we’ve made this quick guide to take you through it.

Be sure to take a look at our Helldivers 2 best weapons and Helldivers 2 best armor guides to make sure you know which gear to use to ensure you smash every mission. For now though, let’s take a look at the Helldivers 2 Recoilless Rifle, how to unlock it, and how to use it effectively.

How to unlock the Recoilless Rifle in Helldivers 2

The Recoilless Rifle is a stratagem that can be unlocked fairly early on in your playthrough. All you need to do is reach Level 5, at which point you will automatically gain access to the Recoilless Rifle in the stratagems select menu. It can be purchased with Requisition slips, earned by clearing missions in the game.

How to use the Recoilless Rifle in Helldivers 2

Before using the Recoilless Rifle, be aware that you can zoom in with it by using the scroll wheel, or by pressing R3 on controllers. While you can shoot it in third-person, it’s much less consistent and will make aiming more difficult. Once you’ve zoomed in, aim at the enemy you want to shoot. You can’t deal splash damage with it, so don’t aim at the ground. Instead, aim for the main body or limbs to try and incapacitate them. Headshots are great too but it can be difficult to land them. While zoomed in, you’ll also be shown weak spots (red for Automatons and yellow for Terminids), so focus on trying to hit these.

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Teamwork makes the Recoilless Rifle better

If you’re struggling to take down a horde of tougher foes, consider asking a friend to help you reload the Recoilless Rifle.

If you have an ally nearby, they can use the support weapon backpack to help you reload faster. This will let you decimate powerful enemies. While the weapon can one-hit many weaker enemies, you’ll want to save it for use on stronger ones like Chargers and Hulks, and especially those with light armor. Its armor penetration will come in handy against Bile Titans and Devastators too. Clear the area of weaker enemies, or find somewhere out of the way to avoid being overwhelmed. Try and use your first shot to knock your enemy down, before reloading and using the second shot to finish them off.

Be mindful of your ammo as well. If you’re faced with weaker enemies, consider other stratagem weapons like the Grenade Launcher, Machine Gun, or Flamethrower. An ally could use one of these to quickly clear out an area before you focus on the tougher enemies. And if aiming and firing this weapon is a hassle, you can always rely on the Expendable Anti-Tank to quickly get you out of a sticky situation.

That’s everything you need to know about the Helldivers 2 Recoilless Rifle. If you’re after more guides, then our Helldivers 2 cheats, Helldivers 2 trophies, and how to get samples in Helldivers 2 guides should have you covered.

Helldivers 2 Recoilless Rifle FAQs

Can you use the Recoilless Rifle solo?

Yes, you can use it solo but it takes longer to reload after each shot.

How to reload the Recoilless Rifle faster?

Get an ally to use the support weapon backpack and interact with you after firing the weapon.