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Best Helldivers 2 weapons and how to unlock

To make liberating space for Super Earth that little bit easier, we’ve created a list of the top Helldivers 2 weapons you can wield.

What are the best Helldivers 2 weapons? Helldivers 2 has hit the ground running and quickly become everyone’s favorite squad-based shooter. Whether it’s your first time in a Hellpod or you’re a veteran of Malevelon Creek, any time spent in this game is both chaotic and memorable.

Even after weeks and months of nonstop war, Helldivers 2 shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon and has undoubtedly left its mark on the multiplayer game sphere. But as you push further into enemy territory in the name of managed democracy and encounter greater foes, we have you covered with our curated list of weapons that we think will give you the edge, no matter what front you’re fighting on.

We have painstakingly tested all of these weapons on both the Terminid and Automaton fronts across a range of difficulties (from Trivial to Helldive). We’ve separated our selection based on the enemy you are facing, as each threat requires a unique counter.

Best weapons against Terminids

Terminids are the bug-brained hive-minded enemies located to the galactic east of Super Earth. In-game, Terminids act as the “mostly” unarmored melee-focused enemy that can overwhelm you from all directions if you don’t keep on the move. Whether it’s a Bile Spewer or Charger, these bugs will get up close and personal.

Here are the best weapons against Terminids:

  • SG-225 Breaker
  • SG-225IE Breaker Incendiary
  • PLAS-1 Scorcher
  • GL-21 Grenade Launcher
  • RS-422 Railgun

Helldivers 2 best weapons: the breaker sg-225 automatic shotgun

SG-225 Breaker

The Breaker has quickly become a Helldiver favorite, and for good reason. As the first fully automatic shotgun available via the Warbonds shop, its astounding rate of fire (comparable to the Diligence) and high damage-per-second (DPS) on both unarmored and lightly armored enemies make this the definitive Terminid-slaying weapon. Some weapons may be more versatile or safer to use, but nothing comes close to the fun you can have with one of these.

Best weapons against Automatons

Automatons are the heartless metallic scourge located to the galactic west of Super Earth. In-game, Automatons are a ranged-focused faction that heavily utilizes armor, but make no mistake, they have a bot for every situation. Bots have a few unarmored menaces, but you better hope you have the right weapon to hand when a Hulk or Tank appears.

Here are the best weapons against Automatons:

  • AR-23P Liberator Penetrator
  • R-63 Diligence
  • AC-8 Autocannon
  • JAR-5 Dominator
  • P-19 Redeemer

Helldivers 2 best weapons: the liberator penetraror

AR-23P Liberator Penetrator

The Liberator Penetrator is a dark horse, as most players don’t realize it’s one of only two weapons in Helldivers 2 with Medium Armour Penetrating. Located on page six of the “Helldivers Mobilises” Warbonds store, it’s not an early game pick for most. However, when you eventually earn the required medals, not much will come close to the variety of enemies this weapon can take on. Sporting the same rate of fire as the standard Liberator with a reduced magazine capacity means that it can catch players off guard if they don’t keep an eye on their ammo count.

All Helldivers 2 weapons

As you go through the Warbonds and unlock each weapon, you will find your favorite for each situation and mission. Some may prefer a long-range approach, while others will dispense democracy as fast as possible with SMGs and machine guns.

Weapon name Type Category Best against How to unlock
SG-8 Punisher Shotgun Helldivers Mobilise Terminids Page one of Helldivers Mobilise Warbond
P-2 Peacemaker Pistol Helldivers Mobilise Terminids Page two of Helldivers Mobilise Warbond
R-63 Diligence Marksman Rifle Helldivers Mobilise Both Page two of Helldivers Mobilise Warbond
SMG-37 Defender Submachine Gun Helldivers Mobilise Terminids Page three of Helldivers Mobilise Warbond
SG-225 Breaker Shotgun Helldivers Mobilise Terminids Page four of Helldivers Mobilise Warbond
LAS-5 Scythe Energy Helldivers Mobilise Automatons Page five of Helldivers Mobilise Warbond
AR-23P Liberator Penetrator Assault Rifle Helldivers Mobilise Automatons Page six of Helldivers Mobilise Warbond
R-63CS Diligence Counter Sniper Marksman Rifle Helldivers Mobilise Both Page seven of Helldivers Mobilise Warbond
SG-8S Slugger Shotgun Helldivers Mobilise Both Page eight of Helldivers Mobilise Warbond
SG-225SP Breaker Spray and Pray Shotgun Helldivers Mobilise Terminids Page nine of Helldivers Mobilise Warbond
PLAS-1 Scorcher Energy Helldivers Mobilise Both Page ten of Helldivers Mobilise Warbond
P-4 Senator Pistol Steeled Veterans Automatons Page one of Steeled Veterans Warbond
AR-23E Liberator Explosive Assault Rifle Steeled Veterans Both Page one Steeled Veterans Warbond
SG-225IE Breaker Incendiary Shotgun Steeled Veterans Terminids Page two of Steeled Veterans Warbond
JAR-5 Dominator Explosive Steeled Veterans Both Page three of Steeled Veterans Warbond
LAS-16 Sickle Energy Cutting Edge Automatons Page one of Cutting Edge Warbond
SG-8P Punisher Plasma Shotgun Cutting Edge Terminids Page two of Cutting Edge Warbond
LAS-7 Dagger Pistol Cutting Edge Automatons Page three of Cutting Edge Warbond
ARC-12 Blitzer Shotgun Cutting Edge Both Page three of Cutting Edge Warbond
BR-14 Adjudicator Marksman Rifle Democratic Detonation Both Page one of Democratic Detonation Warbond
R-36 Eruptor Explosive Democratic Detonation Both Page two of Democratic Detonation Warbond
GP-31 Grenade Pistol Pistol Democratic Detonation Both Page three of Democratic Detonation Warbond
CB-9 Exploding Crossbow Explosive Democratic Detonation Both Page three of Democratic Detonation Warbond
AR-61 Tenderizer Assault Rifle Polar Patriots Both Page one of Polar Patriots Warbond.
SMG-72 Pummeller Submachine Gun Polar Patriots Terminids Page two of Polar Patriots Warbond.
PLAS-101 Purifier Energy Polar Patriots Both Page three of Polar Patriots Warbond.
P-113 Verdict Pistol Polar Patriots Both Page three of Polar Patriots Warbond.
MG-43 Machine Gun Support Stratagems Both Default
APW-1 Anti-Material Rifle Support Stratagems Both Unlocked via “Ship Management” under “Stratagems”
M-105 Stalwart Support Stratagems Terminids Unlocked via “Ship Management” under “Stratagems”
EAT-17 Expendable Anti-Tank Support
Explosive
Stratagems Both Unlocked via “Ship Management” under “Stratagems”
GR-8 Recoilless Rifle Explosive Stratagems Both Unlocked via “Ship Management” under “Stratagems”
FLAM-40 Flamethrower Incendiary Stratagems Both Unlocked via “Ship Management” under “Stratagems”
AC-8 Autocannon Support Stratagems Both Unlocked via “Ship Management” under “Stratagems”
MG-206 Heavy Machine Gun Support Stratagems Terminids Unlocked via “Ship Management” under “Stratagems”
RS-422 Railgun Support Stratagems Both Unlocked via “Ship Management” under “Stratagems”
FAF-14 Spear Support Stratagems Both Unlocked via “Ship Management” under “Stratagems”
GL-21 Grenade Launcher Explosive Stratagems Both Unlocked via “Ship Management” under “Stratagems”
LAS-98 Laser Cannon Support Stratagems Both Unlocked via “Ship Management” under “Stratagems”
ARC-3 Arc Thrower Support Stratagems Automatons Unlocked via “Ship Management” under “Stratagems”
LAS-99 Quasar Cannon Support Stratagems Automatons Unlocked via “Ship Management” under “Stratagems”
AR-23 Liberator Assault Rifle Misc Terminids Unlocked by default
P-2 Peacemaker Pistol Misc Terminids Unlocked by default

Now that you know what arsenal is available to you as you play through Helldivers 2, you might want to dive nose-deep into the fray alongside your squad, but some cannot get into a game. Keep an eye on our Helldivers 2 server status page, which is updated often. Whether you get in-game or not, make sure your graphics card isn’t letting you down, and double-check the Helldivers 2 system requirements before installing.