ARC Raiders Weapon Tier List: Best Guns After Update 2.3.0

Update 2.3.0 touched almost every corner of your loadout in ARC Raiders without adding a single new gun. The October 27 patch leans on gear and loot-pool changes instead of weapon stat tweaks, which makes this a good moment to step back and rank the full arsenal — not just for what changed, but for what got easier to find. This is our own read of the current meta, built on the weapons' known strengths and the official Live Update 2.3.0 patch notes, not a claim of exact in-game numbers Embark hasn't published.

01What Update 2.3.0 Changed for Raiders

Embark's focus this patch was survivability and loot, not raw gun damage. The Heavy Shield's base charge rose from 80 to 90, closing some of the gap with the Medium Shield and making it a safer default pick in firefights. The Flame Spray quick-use item got a real buff too — damage per second climbed from 10 to 13, and durability drain was cut in half, so it burns longer before running dry. The Firefly Burner was reworked from a shoot-to-vent weapon into a throwable that ignites on impact and spreads fire for roughly three seconds, and Adrenaline Shots can now be used at max stamina without stacking, so there's no reason to carry more than one.

None of that changes a gun's fire rate or damage directly, but it does change which weapons are worth building around. A loadout that leans on aggressive pushes benefits more from a sturdier Heavy Shield; one built on area denial gets real mileage out of the upgraded Flame Spray and Firefly Burner.

The loot pool also shifted in a way that matters for this list. Six weapon blueprints — Dolabra, Bobcat, Equalizer, Jupiter, Tempest, and Vulcano — can now drop in any major map condition instead of being locked to specific states, with the pool's own drop chance trimmed slightly to compensate. In practice, that means guns that used to be a lucky find are now a realistic goal on almost any run, and that accessibility is part of how we're ranking them below, alongside raw performance.

A quick note on method: Embark hasn't published exact damage, recoil, or penetration numbers for individual firearms, so this ranking is our own read of ARC Raiders' arsenal — built on each weapon's known ammo type, role, and how it performs in practice, not on hidden stat sheets. Treat it as opinion grounded in the patch notes and the game's own weapon categories, and adjust for your own playstyle and loot luck on a given run.

02S Tier: The Best Weapons Right Now

• Ferro — This Heavy Ammo battle rifle remains the benchmark for single-target damage and ARC armor penetration. It's expensive to feed, but nothing else drops an armored ARC or a geared-up Raider as fast per shot.
• Jupiter — The game's true endgame sniper rifle, firing off Energy Clips instead of standard ammo. Its range and one-shot potential against unshielded targets make it the pick once you can reliably source cells for it.
• Tempest — Still the most complete all-around assault rifle in the game: manageable recoil, solid range, and Medium Ammo that's easy to keep stocked. It's the rifle we'd hand a new Raider who wants one gun that does everything.

03A Tier: Strong, Reliable Picks

• Vulcano — A semi-automatic shotgun that can delete a target at close range if every pellet lands. Its blueprint is now part of the pool that can drop in any major map condition, so it's realistic to chase one earlier in a run.
• Bettina — Cheap to produce relative to its damage ceiling, which makes it an efficient AR for players who don't want to burn their best Heavy Ammo elsewhere.
• Dolabra — An Energy Clip shotgun that hits like a Vulcano with a different ammo economy. Also on the expanded blueprint pool this patch, which makes it a realistic goal instead of a lottery ticket.
• Renegade and Aphelion — Both Medium and Energy-based battle rifles that trade a step of Ferro's raw power for better accessibility and ammo availability, which matters more in practice than a tier list number.

04B Tier: Solid But Situational

• Equalizer — An Energy Clip special that rewards precise play but asks more of the user than the Tier-A options. Easier to find this patch thanks to the same blueprint change as Vulcano, Dolabra, Jupiter, Tempest, and Bobcat.
• Bobcat and Stitcher — Light Ammo SMGs that shine in close-quarters extraction fights but fall off hard at range. Bobcat's blueprint is now easier to source, which nudges it ahead of Stitcher for most loadouts.
• Osprey — A capable Medium Ammo sniper rifle for players who haven't unlocked Jupiter's Energy Clip pipeline yet. A reasonable stepping stone, not a long-term answer.
• Torrente — The game's lone LMG. Sustained fire is strong for holding a position, but Medium Ammo upkeep is real, and it's a poor fit for a mobile playstyle.
• Stiletto and Rattler — Dependable Light and Medium Ammo options that never feel bad to pick up off a dead Raider, even if neither is a first choice when you have a say in the matter.
• Bantam and Anvil — Heavy Ammo hand cannons that hit hard per shot and work as a reliable sidearm upgrade, at the cost of a slow follow-up shot if you miss.

05C Tier: Underwhelming for Now

• Kettle — The starter assault rifle most Raiders outgrow fast. Light Ammo keeps it cheap to run, but its damage ceiling is the lowest of the AR class.
• Arpeggio — A middle-of-the-road Medium Ammo rifle that rarely loses you a fight but also rarely wins one on its own.
• Il Toro — The basic pump shotgun. It does the job in a pinch but gets outclassed the moment you can afford a Vulcano or Dolabra.
• Venator — A Medium Ammo pistol that's a reasonable early sidearm and nothing more once you've got a real primary.
• Canto — A Medium Ammo SMG that splits the difference between Bobcat's mobility and Rattler's range without excelling at either.

06D Tier: Hard to Recommend

• Hairpin and Burletta — Light Ammo starter pistols that exist mainly as a free-loadout fallback. Replace them the moment you have anything else.
• Rascal and Hullcracker — Launcher Ammo specials built for niche demolition work against structures or grouped enemies. Powerful in the exact right moment, dead weight in your inventory the rest of the run.

07Gear Worth Adjusting This Patch

The weapon tier list is only half the picture this update. Your gear loadout changed meaningfully too, and it's worth revisiting even if you're not switching guns.

• Heavy Shield: The jump from 80 to 90 base charge makes it a stronger default over the Medium Shield, especially for players who push fights rather than disengage.
• Flame Spray: The 10-to-13 damage-per-second increase and halved durability drain make it worth a slot again for anyone clearing a building or holding a chokepoint.
• Firefly Burner: Now a throwable that ignites on impact rather than a weapon you had to shoot to activate — closer to a grenade than before, and better suited to area denial than direct damage.
• Adrenaline Shot: Since stacking no longer does anything, carrying more than one in a single raid is wasted inventory space. Swap the extra slot for ammo or a med item instead.
• Grappling Hook: Not a combat item, but several long-standing bugs were fixed this patch, including cases where it failed to work inside the Matriarch's shield and unintended launches when swinging. Worth a second look if you'd shelved it before 2.3.0.

Taken together, these changes nudge the overall meta toward raiders who hold ground and control space rather than ones who sprint for extraction the moment shots are fired. If your current loadout leans aggressive and mobile, this patch is a reasonable point to test a Heavy Shield and a Flame Spray instead of your usual picks, even if your weapon stays the same.

How to Adjust Your Loadout for Update 2.3.0

1. 1Swap your Medium Shield for a Heavy Shield if you're pushing fights rather than avoiding them — the 80-to-90 base charge buff makes it a safer default now.Early Game
2. 2Emperor's entrance containers now drop lower-tier rewards with the good stuff deeper inside, and Frigate follows the same pattern — push further in before looting.Mid-Game
3. 3Dolabra, Bobcat, Equalizer, Jupiter, Tempest, and Vulcano blueprints can now appear in any major map condition. Don't skip a pod type just because it wasn't the right state before.Mid-Game
4. 4It now ignites on impact and spreads fire on its own, so use it like a grenade on a doorway or chokepoint instead of shooting it to activate.Combat
5. 5Stacking no longer does anything, so trade the extra copies for ammo or a healing item in your loadout screen before you extract.Loadout

Embark's own showcase of the Frozen Trail Collector Set — a reminder that skins don't touch these numbers, but a good look at several guns from this list in action.

08Where This Meta Goes Next

Embark has settled into a three-week cadence for fix patches, so treat this ranking as current for the next stretch rather than permanent. For the full, unedited change list, read the Live Update 2.3.0 patch notes on Embark's own site, and check the ARC Raiders Steam page for current pricing and platform availability before you jump back in.