Arc Raiders offers a wide range of weapons, each built for its own niche. Some shine in close combat. Some control mid-range fights. Some exist just to rip through the Ark. If you’re diving into the game and want to understand what’s worth carrying into a raid, here’s a simple, sharp breakdown based on the practical strengths shown across the roster.
Close-Range Killers
If you want to dominate hallways and rooms, you need burst damage. Shotguns sit at the top here.
Il Toro
A monster indoors. Two quick shots drop a light shield raider, and you can play corners perfectly. Upgrade the fire rate, and it becomes one of the fastest room-clear Arc Raiders weapons in the game.
Volcano
Even stronger. It has the fastest time to kill of any gun. If someone steps within 5 to 10 meters of a Volcano user, they’re basically gone. Hard to beat in PvP when things get close.
Axe
Not a meme. Four swings in about two seconds drop a light shield raider. A smoke grenade plus a fast rush turns it into chaos. Useful against several Ark types, too.
Mid-Range All-Rounders
These are the guns that control most actual fights. Reliability matters more here than flash.
Tempest
The true workhorse. Handles close, medium, and long range. It has the range of a Pharaoh, with a time-to-kill close to an SMG. Works in every situation, whether you’re fighting raiders or Ark.
Renegade
A rifle that hits hard at distance without the Pharaoh’s slow recock. You can fire follow-up shots before enemies even recover from being hit. Fully upgraded, it feels like the definitive rifle.
Pharaoh and Anvil
The Pharaoh is cheap, consistent, and cracks shields with a sound you never get tired of. The Anvil is a pricier upgrade path that hits harder and fires faster once leveled. Both are dependable.
Automatic Weapons and SMGs
Spraying bullets always has a place, but not all autos are equal.
Stitcher
Cheap and reliable at close range. Add an extended mag and a muzzle brake, and it becomes a solid entry-level SMG.
Rattler
Awful reload, but strong once upgraded. Plays like a budget Tempest: accurate, fast enough, and flexible.
Bobcat
A purple-tier SMG with great stability, but it needs attachments to shine. Mostly a finisher rather than a primary damage dealer.
Explosive, Heavy, and Specialist Weapons
These guns bend the rules and create specific advantages.
Kettle
A scrappy air-propelled blaster that’s fun and surprisingly usable early on. It doesn’t scale as well, but it works in cheap loadouts.
Bettina
A rapid-fire heavy gun built for destroying Ark drones. Not great in PvP, but handy in PvE when skies fill with trouble.
Hullcracker
The Ark’s worst nightmare. It’s weak against players, but if you need to melt big Ark enemies, this is the easy-mode button.
Jupiter
A laser beam with huge damage and pinpoint accuracy. Great for PvE, weak for PvP. Still, nothing feels quite like firing it.
Equalizer
A legendary Gatling gun that erases almost anything. Good in PvP, absurd in PvE. It’s the Torrente’s bigger, louder, meaner sibling.
Snipers and Long-Range Weapons
Not all long-range guns are equal.
Osprey
Accurate and stable, but requires four body shots to down a raider. Great for squads where you can pressure enemies from afar. Not great for solo takedowns.
LMGs and Suppression Tools
When you want to take space and control the fight, these shine.
Torrente
A heavy LMG that destroys anything in close quarters and can lock down hallways thanks to its huge magazine. Balanced by its weight, but still brutal.
Venator
Light, fast, and borderline broken. It has rifle-level range and, over time, upgrades into a weapon with a time-to-kill comparable to an LMG. Its only real limitation is magazine size, and even that can be patched.
Final Thoughts
Arc Raiders’ weapons offer plenty of styles: precision rifles, room-clearing shotguns, spray-and-pray SMGs, and PvE-focused power tools. If you want one gun that carries you through almost anything, choose a Tempest or Renegade. If you want unmatched PvE destruction, pick up the Hullcracker, Jupiter, or Equalizer. And if you enjoy the thrill of close-quarters chaos, the Volcano and Il Toro rule that space.
