Cyberpunk 2077 Best Weapons Tier List 2026: 30 Iconics Ranked for Update 2.5

The best weapons in Cyberpunk 2077 (CP2077) Update 2.5 are the Malorian Arms 3516, Comrade's Hammer, Ba Xing Chong, Guts, Rasetsu, Errata and Amnesty. Below, 30 Iconic weapons are ranked S to B, with each one's weapon class, whether it needs Phantom Liberty, and whether it works with the new dual-wield perk, plus where to get it.

CD Projekt Red released Update 2.5, the Edgerunners 2 update, on October 22, 2026. According to the official 2.5 notes, the new Double Trouble perk in the Cool tree lets you dual-wield "Pistols and Revolvers from the Power category". The notes list no new Iconic weapons and no weapon balance changes. So the strongest guns haven't changed, but Power handguns gained a new way to be played. A small October 27 hotfix (2.500.200) shipped after that; press reports say it fixed save access in Argentina, and CD Projekt Red hasn't posted notes for it.

Cyberpunk 2077 weapon tier list (Update 2.5)

The tiers rank each Iconic fully upgraded, on three things: damage on Very Hard, how many builds it fits, and whether its unique effect changes how a fight plays out. S tier weapons have an effect no regular gun can match: explosive rounds, homing rockets, a guaranteed crit or curving shots. Weapon effects and numbers come from the Fextralife Iconic weapons list and each weapon's wiki page.

How weapons work in Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 and later

Since Update 2.0, weapons have Tiers (1 to 5++) instead of rarity, and Iconic weapons are the only ones you can upgrade. In the 2.0 patch notes, CD Projekt Red "replaced old rarity levels (Common, Uncommon, Rare, Epic, Legendary) with Tiers (from Tier 1 to 5++)" and said that "apart from cyberware, now only Iconic weapons can be upgraded". Weapons scale their damage with their Tier.

• Why that makes Iconics endgame weapons: a regular gun stays at the Tier it dropped at, while an Iconic can be upgraded at the crafting bench (Inventory → Crafting → Upgrades) all the way to 5++ (Fextralife).
• Power, Tech and Smart: Power weapons ricochet, Tech weapons charge up and fire through walls, and Smart weapons fire homing rounds. Dual-wielding in 2.5 only works with Power pistols and revolvers.
• Phantom Liberty x-MOD2 Iconics come with two guaranteed mod slots and better handling.
• Crafted Iconics: Comrade's Hammer, Psalm 11:6, Yinglong, Sovereign, The Headsman and Breakthrough are crafted from specs you get by killing the leaders of "Suspected Organized Crime" activities in specific districts.

Best pistols and revolvers

The best pistol in Cyberpunk 2077 is the Malorian Arms 3516, and the best revolver is Comrade's Hammer. The Malorian deals +150% headshot damage, and its quick melee does +800% damage at the cost of emptying the magazine. Comrade's Hammer fires one explosive round per shot with +75% armour penetration (Malorian Arms 3516, Comrade's Hammer).

Best weapons for dual-wielding (Update 2.5)

The best dual-wield pair in Update 2.5 is the Malorian Arms 3516 with Amnesty. Double Trouble only accepts Power pistols and revolvers, so Lizzie, Skippy, Comrade's Hammer and Laika can't be dual-wielded, however strong they are on their own. That leaves six Iconics in this list that you can pair up:

• Malorian Arms 3516 + Amnesty: the strongest pair, two S tier headshot guns, both from the base game.
• Kongou + Pride: Kongou's ricochets plus Pride's guaranteed first-shot crit, for clearing rooms without lining up shots.
• Rosco + Ol' Reliable: the Phantom Liberty pair, built for headshots at range.

The perk tree and attribute splits for a full dual-wield character are in our Cyberpunk 2077 best builds guide.

Best assault rifles and SMGs

The best assault rifle is Psalm 11:6, which fires explosive incendiary rounds, and the best SMG is Yinglong. Yinglong is a Smart SMG with electrical damage and a chance to EMP, so it pairs with a Netrunner who wants an easy gun for when their RAM runs out (Psalm 11:6, Yinglong).

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Best shotguns and the Ba Xing Chong

Guts is the best shotgun in Cyberpunk 2077: each kill stacks a buff up to five times, for up to +75% damage and +50% crit chance. The Ba Xing Chong is listed as a shotgun, but it fires explosive rockets that can lock onto up to six enemies at once, which is why it's S tier despite only unlocking after the main story (Guts, Ba Xing Chong).

Best sniper and precision rifles

Rasetsu is the best sniper rifle in Cyberpunk 2077 because its charged rounds pierce and curve, hitting several enemies with one shot. If you don't own Phantom Liberty, Overwatch is the best choice: +300% headshot damage and a built-in silencer, given to you for saving Saul in "Riders on the Storm" (Rasetsu, Overwatch).

Best katanas and blades

Errata is the best katana in Cyberpunk 2077: you can leap at enemies with it, and attacks on burning enemies always crit. Satori is the best pick earlier in the game, because you can grab it during The Heist, but it's easy to miss: it's inside the AV on the helipad (Errata, Satori).

Mantis Blades are arm cyberware, not a weapon, so they aren't on this list. A Sandevistan blade build often runs a katana and Mantis Blades together.

Best weapon for each build

The full builds, with attribute splits for level 50 and 60, are in our Cyberpunk 2077 best builds for Update 2.5.

Cyberpunk 2077 weapons FAQ

What is the best weapon in Cyberpunk 2077?

The Malorian Arms 3516. It's in the base game, it can be dual-wielded in Update 2.5, and it does +150% headshot damage. For a non-pistol pick, Comrade's Hammer and the Ba Xing Chong are just as strong.

Did Update 2.5 change any weapons?

No weapon numbers changed. The official notes add the Double Trouble perk for dual-wielding Power pistols and revolvers, plus a new five-piece gear set from the Clampdown side quest, but list no new Iconics and no weapon balance changes.

Which weapons can you dual-wield?

Only Power pistols and Power revolvers. Of the Iconics in this list, that's the Malorian Arms 3516, Amnesty, Kongou, Pride, Rosco and Ol' Reliable.

Can you upgrade any weapon?

No. Since Update 2.0, only Iconic weapons (and cyberware) can be upgraded, at the crafting bench, up to Tier 5++.

The bottom line

Pick up the Malorian Arms 3516 in "Chippin' In", craft Comrade's Hammer once you reach Arroyo, and grab Satori during The Heist if you want a sword. With those three you'll have a top-tier weapon in every slot by the middle of the game. Phantom Liberty owners should add Rasetsu as their sniper.

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Images: official Cyberpunk 2077 and Phantom Liberty screenshots from CD Projekt Red (Steam store pages) and the official Update 2.5 key art from cyberpunk.net.