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 a week 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 come across greater foes, we have you covered with our curated list of weapons 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
Termanids 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 are going to get up close and personal.
Here are the best weapons against Terminids:
- SG-225 Breaker
- AR23-Liberator
- AR-23E Liberator Explosive
- GL-21 Grenade Launcher
- RS-422 Railgun
SG-225 Breaker
The Breaker has quickly become a Helldiver favorite over the last week – and for good reason. Being 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 makes 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 when a Hulk or Tank appears, you better hope you have the right weapon to hand.
Here are the best weapons against Automatons:
- AR-23P Liberator Penetrator
- R-63 Diligence
- JAR-5 Dominator
- AC-8 Autocannon
- APW-1 Anti-Materiel Rifle
AR-23P Liberator Penetrator
The Liberator Penetrator is a dark horse, as most players don’t realize that 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, but when you eventually earn the medals required, 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 players will need to keep an eye on their ammo count if they don’t want to be caught off guard.
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 |
| 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 are unable to 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.