The Finals best weapons tier list – best guns in season 2, ranked

With so many guns and a few melee weapons to choose from between each Contestant, we’re putting together our The Finals best weapons tier list, detailing the best guns in the game.

There are three Contestant types, which could effectively be called classes in The Finals: Light, Medium, and Heavy. Each of these Contestants has access to different weapons, giving you a ton of choice in your loadout.

For more, make sure you read our guide covering the best loadout for Medium and the best loadout for Light builds. And start off with our The Finals beginners guide. Now, this is our definitive The Finals best weapons tier list.

The Finals Season 2 – best weapons tier list

From S all to way to D rank, this is our tier list of the best weapons in The Finals. There are plenty of guns to choose from, the real task is finding one that works for you and the play style you prefer. Medium Contestant gets a great choice of amazing all-rounder guns, while the Heavy has some more unique options such as the flamethrower.

✓ Jack’s opinion

Pick what works for you

We have chosen these weapons based on our own experience with each of them and how well they perform. We had the best rounds using these weapons and we highly recommend trying one of them out for your favourite class.

The Finals Season 2 brought some much-needed nerfs and buffs to guns, which has changed our ranking for many. After playing the latest patch and spending time with each weapon, we’ve come up with the following list of the best guns. We’re including melee weapons here as well:

Weapon	Contestant	Tier
V9S pistol	Light	S
XP-54 SMG	Light	S
Sword	Light	S
Flamethrower	Heavy	S
R.357 revolver	Medium	S
SA1216 shotgun	Heavy	S
FAMAS burst rifle	Medium	S
KS-23 shotgun	Heavy	A
SH1900 shotgun	Light	A
Lewis Gun LMG	Heavy	A
Model 1887 shotgun	Medium	A
M60 LMG	Heavy	B
M11 SMG	Light	B
SR-84 sniper	Light	B
FCAR assault rifle	Medium	B
93R auto pistol	Light	B
AKM assault rifle	Medium	C
CL-40 grenade launcher	Medium	C
Sledgehammer	Heavy	C
Throwing Knives	Light	C
LH1 battle rifle	Light	C
MGL32 grenade launcher	Heavy	D
Riot Shield	Medium	D
Dagger	Light	D

The Finals season 2 – S-tier weapons

When it comes to S-tier weapons, we’re talking about the best weapons in The Finals. Each of the classes has at least one S-tier weapon we recommend using on them. If you happen to dislike the weapon we’ve chosen, perhaps give it another try or use a substitute. There’s no wrong way to play or enjoy these guns.

V9S pistol (Light)

Arguably the best gun for the Light Build Contestants, the V9S silenced pistol is extremely devastating with its damage, rate of fire, and accuracy. The point of the Light Build is effectively to be a glass canon, letting you run in there and deal as much damage as possible and then get out. You can shoot it fast and the reload is quick, giving you plenty of time to get kills and safely reload.

XP-54 SMG (Light)

The XP-54 is simply the upgraded version of the M11 default gun the Light build gets access to, making it better in every single way. This little SMG has a ton of fire rate and a decent mag size for a small gun, so long as you don’t spray all your bullets away in the first instance. It has great damage and the speed of the gun is the main selling point for it, letting you laser foes if you can control your accuracy.

Sword (Light)

Melee weapons are surprisingly decent in The Finals, letting you kill enemies extremely quickly. The problem is getting close enough to use it, but with enough stealth, you will see great success. Naturally, bringing a sword to a gunfight will have varying degrees of success, so make sure you adapt your playstyle.

Flamethrower (Heavy)

Being burned alive by a Heavy with a flamethrower is extremely upsetting, except when you’re the one doing the burning. The Flamethrower is a fairly devastating weapon in The Finals, letting you burn away Goo, set areas on fire, and deal damage over time to your enemies.

R.357 revolver (Medium)

If you’re feeling fancy, the R 357 revolver is an incredibly strong gun that only the Medium build characters can use. You can take out an enemy with three shots if you get them in the head, but you need to work on your accuracy and timing. If you’ve got a good eye and can take your shots without pressure, the revolver will be one of the best guns for you in The Finals.

SA1216 shotgun (Heavy)

What’s better than a normal shotgun? An automatic shotgun. The SA1216 has a generous mag size of 16 and considerable damage. This shotgun is one of the best to use as a Heavy, but it could have some competition with the KS-23.

FAMAS burst rifle (Medium)

The FAMAS is another excellent rifle option for the Medium build. Newly introduced in season 2, it is essentially a better version of the FCAR in every single way. It is burst fire, but this means direct hits will be even more devastating.

The Finals season 2 – A-tier weapons

These are the A-Rank weapons in our The Finals weapon tier list. These weapons are viable in a lot of situations, but they fall short of being s-tier for several reasons. Let’s take a look at what comes in this rank and our reasons why.

KS-23 shotgun (Heavy)

The newest shotgun added in season 2 is a strong contender right out of the gate. This shotgun is better than most thanks to its damage, but where it truly shines is through its arena destruction. You can use this shotgun to blast through walls, make small kill holes, or otherwise remodel the interior of buildings to your liking.

SH1900 Shotgun (Light)

For you sneaky Light likers, few guns are better than the SH1900 double-barreled shotgun. At close range, this gun is devastating and can blow you away in just two shots if they all land. It can be a gamble since the pellets are fairly small, but when they land and you see your foe’s HP melt before your eyes, you’ll be glad you grabbed it. It is perfectly paired with the Stealth specialisation, letting you go invisible and then surprise enemies with a double tap to the back.

Lewis Gun LMG (Heavy)

The Lewis Gun and the M60 LMG may seem interchangeable. But there are a couple of differences that you need to bear in mind. This weapon trades the large magazine size of the M60 for higher damage and range. It’s got enough ammo to knock out multiple opponents in a single clip. Pair that with higher damage and steady recoil and you’ve got a Heavy weapon that’s a step above the standard M60. It suits most playstyles as well.

Model 1887 shotgun (Medium)

As far as this shotgun goes, it is a fairly decent pick. It is the only shotty that Medium contestants can use, and it is surprisingly versatile. Thanks to its slow reload speed, you must time your shots well and have more patience, but each direct hit is damaging and satisfying in equal measure.

The Finals season 2 – B-tier weapons

As we move down the tiers, we’re seeing weapons that are still viable, but they aren’t optimal picks.

M60 LMG (Heavy)

The M60 is the default gun for the Heavy, which means you will have it unlocked from the start and you don’t need to use any VRs to get it. It’s a standard light machine gun, with a generous clip size for everyone who likes to spray and pray. The best thing about the M60 is it’s reliable, while you do have some better options for the heavy, we think the M60 will cover all your bases and then some.

M11 SMG (Light)

The M11 SMG is essentially a worse version of the XP-54 for the Light Contestant. Since this is the default gun you can get a bunch of mileage from it, but you should think about swapping to the XP-54 as soon as you can for better damage, range, and accuracy. While this weapon has a better rate of fire and mag size, it is outclassed by the balanced XP-54.

SR-84 sniper (Light)

This sniper rifle is the only one in the game, and it is a default weapon for the Light Contestant. This gun is devastating at range, but that doesn’t help when most of the fighting in The Finals takes place in cramped indoor areas nine times out of ten. In perfect conditions, this weapon would do a great job if you’ve got the accuracy to back it up. Overall, it is lacking and doesn’t perform very well in most situations.

FCAR assault rifle (Medium)

The FCAR is a solid all-rounder gun, and the Medium Contestants get to take full advantage of it. It does have a smaller magazine, but you can fire it single-tap for when you need accuracy or you can let it go full auto if you’re in a tight spot. But miss enough shots and you’ll be forced to reload in the middle of a firefight. The damage is good, and it is easy enough to get headshots with the assault rifle. It does struggle to make a dent in Heavy Contestants, but you can almost always outrange them and take them out easily.

93R pistol (Light)

Another one of the newest weapons added in season 2, this burst-fire pistol is a deadly addition to the Light contestant’s arsenal. This pistol, unsilenced and different to the VS9, fires in 3-round bursts and is ideal for close- to medium-range engagements. While we’ve not had much time with this gun, it is undeniably impressive. The burst fire is excellent if you hit all shots, so you should definitely play around with it.

The Finals season 2 – C tier weapons

Our picks for the C-tier weapons are based on what are largely duplicate weapons that are worse versions of guns that exist or don’t help the Contestant you’re playing as.

AKM (Medium)

This AR is the default gun for the Medium Contestant and it does a good job, to begin with. It is standard in every single way, not shining in any particular area and being fairly hard to handle at medium to long range. These sub-par stats and performance make it a weapon you should only use if you have no other option. But over time, you’ll see that it’s a reliable companion against just about any class of foe. The same can’t be said for the FCAR with its smaller magazine.

Throwing Knives (Light)

The Throwing Knives are fairly terrible, but they are extremely stylish which is why we think they belong in this tier. This weapon was added to the Light repertoire at the full release of The Finals, and while they aren’t just a single-use weapon, they aren’t good enough when compared to other optimal options you have as a Light Contestant. The alt-fire isn’t as rewarding as it could be, either.

LH1 battle rifle (Light)

As a Light character, you don’t want to be too far away from your foes and you want to utilise hit-and-run tactics more than anything. This gun goes against everything you want from the Light class and it makes the overall approach to playing that class contradict itself. The gun is good, and it would rank a lot higher on this list if it were an option for Medium classes.

CL-40 grenade launcher (Medium)

One of the better things about The Finals in general is the destructible arenas you fight in. Anything that helps you change the landscape to your advantage – and lets you deal respectable damage – sets itself apart as one of the stronger weapons in the game. The CL40 grenade launcher is exactly this, and it will let you level buildings and enemies in equal measure. The latest patch buffed its effectiveness in combat too. Just remember to account for the grenade drop and bounce while firing this weapon.

Sledgehammer (Heavy)

The Sledgehammer, like other melee weapons, is always outclassed by guns in The Finals. The Heavy class shouldn’t bother with this, since the trade-off is not worth your while in any situation. But it’s still a potential pick for players who like to alter terrain without resorting to explosives.

The Finals season 2 – D tier weapons

It should come as no surprise that all the melee weapons in The Finals aren’t especially good outside of extremely limited and specific situations. With that in mind, the sledgehammer actually comes in pretty clutch at times. It is a powerful weapon, capable of one-shotting a Light Contestant. This alone is a good reason to try it out, but don’t just charge in blindly with it.

MGL32 grenade launcher (Heavy)

The MGL32 grenade launcher is somehow worse than the CL-40 and while this one can cause some destruction, the MGL is lacking in so many ways. For you Heavy Contestants, pick anything but this unless you want to destroy things.

Dagger (Light)

While the Sword is a decent pick, its flaws go double for the dagger. Melee weapons are far too limited in their usefulness in general and the dagger suffers the most for it.

Riot Shield (Medium)

The Riot Shield, while able to block and keep you from harm, isn’t necessary. This should be a Gadget rather than a weapon since you can be removed so easily if you’re trying to use it to block. If you’re using it to attack, you’ll be even more out of luck.

That’s all you need to know about the best guns and our complete weapon tier list for The Finals. For more, read our guides covering how to change your name and how to get Multibucks.

The Finals – best weapons tier list FAQs

Should I always use the best weapon?

Absolutely not. Try everything and anything you like to see what works for you.

Why is my favourite weapon no good?

This tier list is based on our experience. You might be a crack shot or a good hand with one of the melee weapons. Don’t worry too much about what is ‘best’ and play the way you want.