Image: 1047 Games
I've been playing video games pretty much nonstop ever since I got my first 360. I love arena shooters, MMOs, and MOBAs, but I'll pretty much try any kind of game.
Reviewed by Benjamin Barr
Splitgate may still be in beta, but it’s already proven itself to be one of the best FPS games we’ve seen in a while. The team behind Splitgate calls it “Halo Meets Portal,” which makes sense when you see the influence the gameplay and visuals take from the early Halo games combined with the portal guns from the Portal series.
Yes, that’s right — portal guns. One of the big questions in most gamers’ minds when it comes to Splitgate is understandably, “What’s the best weapon in Splitgate?” For this list, we’re going to do a rundown of all the weapons in the game right now (not including the portal gun, since it isn’t a “weapon”). We’ll start off with our Splitgate weapon tier list, then dive into our into ranking all the Splitgate weapons from worst to best.
Splitgate Weapons Tier List
I just want to make one thing very clear — Splitgate has no bad weapons. This tier list only goes down to C-tier, and even those weapons are still pretty good.
All Splitgate Weapons Ranked Worst to Best
So what’s the best Splitgate weapon? Each weapon in this game feels so unique that it would be criminal not to devote a section to each one. I won’t bore you too much with the technical stats of each weapon, but we will talk about each one and cover its best use cases.
11) Plasma Rifle
I just want to preface this by saying that I don’t think the Plasma Rifle is bad, but it’s easily the worst weapon in terms of versatility. The Plasma Rifle shreds through enemies at very close range, but it does so less effectively than the Shotgun. If you try using the Plasma Rifle at range, it becomes bad pretty quickly. The Plasma Rifle excels in certain scenarios, but it most often falls into the category of mediocre.
10) Rocket Launcher
It’s rare for a game’s Rocket Launcher to not be among the most powerful weapons, but I believe that’s the case here. The Rocket Launcher is fine, but this game is so fast-paced that it doesn’t feel like there are many times where it’s the best choice. Since players can portal around the map, they don’t really stand in the same place long enough for a rocket to hit them. It might be a little better if the rocket speed was boosted, but for now, it’s just not as good as we’d like it to be.
9) Pistol
The Pistol is quite a dangerous weapon in the hands of a very skilled player, but it is very difficult to use. Body shots with the Pistol do so little damage that it’s not really worth it — you really have to land headshots consistently to make proper use of this weapon, which is no easy feat. Make sure to put lots of practice into using the Pistol if you’re going to play ranked, since it replaces the Assault Rifle as one of the default weapons there. I do like the Pistol, but I’m not good with it at all.
8) The BFB
The BFB is this game’s melee weapon, and it’s fun as hell to use. It’s literally just a baseball bat that one-shots anyone you hit with it. The BFB is best used on the smaller maps where you can sprint around corners and take people out before they have a chance to shoot you. It’s nearly useless in the larger maps, and in all honesty it isn’t even that great against more skilled players or people with power weapons, but I still love it. If you’re looking to have fun, the BFB is perfect for you.
7) Shotgun
This game’s Shotgun is extremely useful. It excels at close range (obviously), but it’s honestly not bad at mid-range either. It can one-shot kill up close, and is usually a two-shot if they’re a little further away. The only downside here is that having weapons that one-shot kill isn’t as impressive in this game as in others. Most weapons have the potential to kill quickly, so they have to do something extra to stand out. As it is, the Shotgun just lacks a bit of originality to make it more useful here.
6) SMG
The SMG is my favorite of the close-range weapons in this game. It kills very fast, is usable at mid-range, and feels great. I particularly like the SMG in the objective-based modes like Domination and King of the Hill, where getting multiple rapid kills is easy. The SMG is very similar to the Assault Rifle, just closer range. Its only major downside is the small magazine size, but that can be worked around by paying attention to your mag and reloading frequently.
5) Rail Gun
I wasn’t a fan of the Rail Gun at first, but it’s grown on me. It functions as a laser weapon, meaning that it has to charge up before use, but it typically one-shots enemies. It’s most effective at long ranges, and you never want to use it up close (that’s pretty typical for charging weapons, though). The Rail Gun takes some time to get used to, but once you learn it well, it’s time well-spent.
4) Sniper Rifle
Sniper Rifles are always great, but this one is even better than usual. Not only is it a force to be reckoned with at incredible range, but its hip-fire accuracy is unbelievable. Never before has no-scoping been so easy. The Sniper is pretty common on most maps, so it’s a weapon you can feel comfortable seeking out every game. When you do get your hands on one, it’ll be hard not to rack up a couple of kills.
3) Assault Rifle
In all honesty, the Assault Rifle might be my favorite weapon in the game. I wouldn’t say it’s better than our top-ranked picks, but I absolutely love using it. Since it’s one of the default weapons, you’ll have more than enough time to become familiar with it, and you’ll probably be surprised with how versatile it is. This is mostly due to its range, because while it definitely is best at close range, its mid-range gameplay is incredible too. I haven’t been much of an assault rifle user in the past, but this is the main gun I want to use in Splitgate.
2) Carbine
The Carbine is another of the default weapons, and frankly, it’s one of the most effective DMRs I’ve ever seen in a game. It can land an easy three-shot kill as long as one of the hits is a headshot, its range is almost as good as the Sniper’s, and you get to use it every round. This is one of the deadliest weapons in Splitgate, and I highly recommend practicing with it as much as possible.
1) Battle Rifle
When most people think about Battle Rifles, they think of the fan-favorite weapon from Halo. Splitgate fully embraces that fact, giving its Battle Rifle a very similar appearance to the Halo variant of the weapon while somehow making it even better. It is a two-shot kill (as long as one is a headshot) that has excellent range and is widely available on most maps. It’s the best weapon in Splitgate by a long shot (get it?).
Official Splitgate Season 0 Weapon Stats
The team behind Splitgate shared weapon statistics on Twitter within a simple table comparing things like damage, fire rate, and reload times. Check out the Tweet below.
Become a High Grounder
Splitgate is gaining a pretty big following, and its potential seems is almost unlimited. It harkens back to the old days of skill-focused arena shooters while adding modern elements that make it feel fresh and exciting. We hope you enjoyed this ranking of all the Splitgate weapons. Make sure and have fun, and get out there and play this game. It is free, after all.
Happy gaming!
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