Best Guns In Apex Legends Season 16: Ultimate Weapon Tier List
The main focus of Apex Legends Season 16 was to bring quality-of-life updates into the game along with overhauling systems instead of just releasing plenty of new content. With that being said, there were plenty of weapon changes that players will need to know before going into the new Season.
The Hemlok has entered the care package, which has brought the Rampage right back to the floor. On the other hand, the Longbow and Volt have both been confined to the crafting rotation.
Along with these changes, all Assault Rifles have also had their hipfire nerfed, the R-301 went through a damage nerf, and shotguns got some huge buffs. Plenty of things have changed related to weapon tiering after the release of Season 16.
As a result of this, a lot of the weapons have had their tiers swapped. Even though Season 16 did not bring a new Legend into the game, it did introduce a brand-new weapon into the mix, known as the Nemesis AR, which has made quite an entrance into Apex Legends.
In this article, we have compiled a list of the best as well as the worst guns in Apex Legends Season 16, tiered based on their versatility and strength. However, before we get into that, here is a brief introduction to the tier system provided in this article, along with information related to what each tier says about the weapons present in it.
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S-Tier: Must-Take Weapons
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A-Tier: Top-tier early, mid, and late
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B-Tier: Solid picks, are replaceable
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C-Tier: Ok picks, never main guns
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D-Tier: Just avoid these weapons
Keeping that in mind, check out our ultimate weapon tier list for Apex Legends Season 16 below!
Nemesis
A brand-new Assault Rifle, known as the Nemesis, was brought to players with the release of Apex Legends Season 16. As compared to all the other weapons in the game, this gun is in a tier all on its own.
Despite the care package guns' capabilities, they are only at best equal to the Nemesis. It needs a few attachments to be ideal. Still, its mag size, high damage at 17 damage per shot, amazingly high fire rate, low recoil, and nearly non-existent bullet drop make the weapon a laser beam both figuratively and literally.
As soon as you get used to its 4-shot burst pattern and get the hang of this weapon properly, it hits pretty hard. Professional players are already calling for nerfs to this weapon, and it would not come as a shock to us if they came sooner than expected.
S-Tier
Kraber .50 CAL — Care Package Sniper
The Kraber is definitely the king when it comes to the sniper category. Regardless of the nerfs it received in Season 13, the Kraber still remains an S-tier gun. Even though its one-shot headshot potential has been decreased, the Kraber is still an incredibly powerful weapon.
This bolt-action sniper brings massive damage to its opponents at nearly any range. Even if you miss the head, you will bring the enemy down enough for a rapid weapon swap or an assist from a team member to easily confirm the kill.
In case you are fortunate enough to come across the Kraber, someone on your team should take it. It is almost impossible to play against someone who is good with the Kraber, regardless of whether you are a great sniper or not.
Eva-8 Auto — Shotgun
The EVA-8 is officially back in the game and is better than ever after spending a couple of seasons on the bench. The gun is not as broken as it used to be in the previous seasons of the game and is finally worth playing with once more.
A stock attachment slot, buffs to the EVA-8’s fire rate, and the return of the Double Tap hop-up helped this shotgun rise up the ladder in Season 14 of Apex Legends. The EVA has earned its own identity as a shotgun that is speedy in every way.
The gun shoots fast, swaps fast, reloads fast, and goes through ammo pretty quickly. Regardless of being the least ammo efficient Shotgun of the bunch, the EVA-8 tears quickly enough through its targets that it won’t even matter.
Although it does not contain the 2-shot kill potential of the Mastiff and Peacekeeper, the forgiving nature of the EVA-8 puts it back into S-tier when it used to easily belong in the C-tier in the past.
In addition to that, Assault Rifles having their hip-fire nerfed in Season 16 gives players even more reasons to pick up this gun as a quick swap instead of simply trying to risk hipfiring with an AR while being at close range.
G7 Scout — Light Marksman Rifle
G7 Scout is now officially out of the care package and can be easily accessed by players at any point in the game. The gun is also almost worth picking up!
With the help of a scope as well as some range between the shooter and the target, the Scout has the ability to spam shots which will annot any other squads endlessly. It is also incredibly ammo efficient and frees up some inventory space as compared to any typical AR or SMG.
By equipping the white magazine, the Scout will go from 10 ammo to 15, which means that players do not need the best attachments to give this weapon huge upgrades. However, with the help of a Double Tap Trigger and the perfect scope, this weapon is capable of shredding mid-range targets at every point in Apex Legends.
VK-47 Flatline — Heavy Assault Rifle
The Flatline is among some of the best Assault Rifles in the game when it comes to raw damage output. Aside from having some pretty bad iron sights and more recoil as compared to the R-301, its Light ammo counterpart, the Flatline is S-tier for a couple of reasons.
One of the major areas where the Flatline shines is its unchanging nature. The gun’s recoil is solid, it boasts decent range for an assault rifle, and its damage is mid-range but good. Aside from that, it also does not require a lot of attachments in order to thrive.
The base Flatline is an impressively powerful weapon, and it is great at every point in the game. It has pushed the R-301 out of the S-tier after the Season 15 changes, and the Flatline’s hipfire is still solid regardless of the nerfs.
In case you are searching for an Assault Rifle that is not the Nemesis, then this gun is an amazing all-rounder.
Bocek — Care Package Compound Bow
The Bocek Bow entered the Apex Legends as a beastly weapon, one that broke the meta and was absolutely lethal in mid-range combat before getting nerfed. After being restricted to the care package, this bow has landed a little closer to its power level at release with some increased versatility.
Shatter Caps, as well as Deadeye’s Tempo, do not exist as floor pickups anymore. Instead of that, they just come stock standard with the Bocek. Moreover, aside from not being able to pick up arrows anymore, 60 arrows are more than enough to last through most matches.
The near-silent and somewhat incognito nature of the Bocek, along with its base damage of 70, make the gun more than capable of outtrading other marksman weapons easily.
Peacekeeper — Shotgun
The Peacekeeper is an amazingly famous Shotgun choice, and we can see why. Its incredibly satisfying 2-hit kills in earlier stages of the game, high damage and accuracy at range make the gun a very impressive pickup.
The Season 16 buffs made the pellet hits of the gun more consistent as compared to before, but regardless of that, there are more reasons than ever to go for this weapon. Considering that it was powerful before, it is tough to leave this one on the ground.
If you are calm and collected in the most tense close-range combats and can easily maintain a steady hand, then the Peacekeeper is the Shotgun you should go for.
Hemlok — Care Package Assault Rifle
Many players have ignored the Hemlok for its full-auto cousins, such as the R-301 and the Flatline. However, the buffs to this weapon after being put in the care package have made this gun way ahead of the others.
The burst rifle boasts two modes which are three-shot and single. Both of these modes can be amazing, with the long-ranges single-shot option helping players save their ammo as they poke away at their enemies and the burst giving them the firepower they need up close.
The Hemlok is a tough weapon to use, but it is quite powerful at mid-range. Accurate Hemlock shots can down targets shockingly fast with the gun’s high base damage of 23. It can easily eliminate most opponents in 3 to 4 bursts.
A-Tier
Mastiff — Shotgun
This shotgun’s power rests in its tight, horizontal pellet spread. The requirement to ADS for decent accuracy takes some getting used to, but a good player using a Mastiff can turn out to be a real threat.
The Mastiff has turned out to be quite deadly as a result of its consistent 2-shot kill that has above-average accuracy at range for a shotgun. It also has a 5-shot capacity and a somewhat slow rate of fire, which makes the Mastiff’s close-range prowess undefeated in Apex Legends.
That is, if you land your shots. This weapon is placed in A-tier since it is so much more difficult to use as compared to its counterparts. If you are used to the Mastiff’s unique spread patterns, that is great. However, if you don’t, then you will not be hitting much of anything.
Although the Mastiff is one of the most hot and cold weapons, its upsides more than justify its standing in the A-tier.
Rampage — Heavy LMG
The Rampage has come out of the care package and only went through a slight damage nerf. Despite its lack of close-range prowess, it more than makes up for it with reliable damage at range and efficient ammo usage.
Even with absolutely no attachments, the Rampage is still quite strong. Furthermore, the weapon’s ability to tear through doors if you have got a Thermite grenade to charge it up with makes it quite easy to catch enemies off guard and quickly dispatch anyone trying to guard doors.
With Assault Rifles being nerfed, the Rampage is only more powerful than it used to be early on in the game. If DMRs such as the Scout and 3030 do not impress you as single-fire weapons, then the Rampage is a terrific choice with its higher fire rate and general ease of use.
It is quite difficult to go wrong with this weapon, but it does have a little less versatility as opposed to its peers.
RE-45 — Care Package Machine Pistol
The RE-45 definitely has plenty of its uses. This gun has never been the best pick in Apex Legends, even when it had Hammerpoint rounds going for it. Ever since it was put in the care package, this weapon has been a hotly debated topic.
It has a speedy reload, high DPS, pinpoint accurate hip-fire, Disruptor Rounds that tear through shields, and a very manageable recoil. This machine pistol does 18 damage per body shot on a shielded target which makes it easy for it to cut through shields in a matter of milliseconds.
Nevertheless, it does have a con which is that it suffers at longer ranges. As shotguns are so effective, it is difficult to justify swapping it for either your Shotgun or your longer-range main weapon.
It is good, but it is tough to search for a place where it is the best choice for a player’s loadout. In case there is ever a point where you see a care package and find yourself asking if you should grab this, then it is probably not an S-tier weapon.
R-301 Carbine — Light Assault Rifle
Since the release of Apex Legends, the R-301 has continued to be an all-rounder, and it has remained that way ever since. Now that the weapon is out of the replicator and back on the battleground, it is definitely a blessing to find this rifle at any point in the game.
Although its capacity without a light magazine upgrade is quite small at only 18 rounds, its high fire rate and laser precision make it difficult for the player to give up the rifle. Moreover, with Anvil Receiver turning this weapon into a DMR, there is even more reason for players to pick it up in Season 16.
One might not find the R-301 particularly impressive or ground-breaking as a weapon, but its reliability and consistency make it a fantastic choice in nearly any gunfight.
Wingman — Sniper Pistol
Since always, the Wingman has been around the top of the Apex Legends meta. However, it can be challenging to get full power out of the weapon as it is a pistol that rewards pinpoint accuracy for players.
We are assuming that you are selecting the hard-to-handle handgun only if you can accurately land your shots, if not, maybe avoid it altogether. Moreover, the Wingman is not as ammo efficient as it used to be in the past.
The swap to Sniper Ammo means that, instead of just keeping a stack of 60 Heavy on them, players will be required to take up two inventory slots with Sniper ammo just to get 56 shots. However, now that it is well-nerfed, the Wingman is definitely worth picking up.
Especially now that the weapon has Skullpiercers. In case your marksmanship is well enough, having a Wingman at one's hip as a backup option is a pretty good call for confident players.
30-30 Repeater — Heavy Marksman Rifle
The 30-30 is a pretty good weapon and does its job quite well. The rifle’s accuracy and damage are all incredible, and unless you are right in front of an enemy, it is usually a pretty good pick.
You will be ready for any kind of fight if you can successfully pair the Repeater with a shotgun or something small and in a different ammo type, such as the R-99 or Volt SMG.
Furthermore, the wide availability of Heavy ammo, a slot for Skullpiercers, and Dual Shell now being built into the weapon during Season 14 make the 30-30 an excellent mid to long-range option.
Even though it can out-DPS the G7 in the hands of a deadeye marksman, the G7’s ease of use as well as consistency, does put the 30-30 slightly lower on the list.
C.A.R. — Light/Heavy SMG
The CAR SMG is designed to carry light or heavy ammo, along with attachments from either gun line. It is an ideal secondary weapon to keep on yourself in order to avoid those annoying moments when you are starved of ammo.
Even though it remains a solid option, the CAR does have a distinct disadvantage as compared to the other SMGs. The CAR had its barrel attachment removed without the addition of a laser sight, which made the weapon feel a little underwhelming as opposed to last season.
It is still far better than the Alternator, but the CAR has gone from fighting for S-tier to handing on to A-tier by a thread.
Havoc — Energy Assault Rifle
The Havoc has had quite an impressive comeback story. It was only meta in Apex Legends’ early days and a short time in Season 4. Aside from that, this gun used to be one of those weapons you would dread at the thought of having to use it.
After having gone through plenty of buffs in Season 13, the Havoc has come back to life. It has an easily controllable recoil, a massive mag size both stock and with an energy mag equipped, and an extremely consistent hip-fire.
All of these features make the Havoc a worthwhile pickup at nearly any point in the game. Even the Season 16 AR hip-fire nerfs were unable to keep this weapon down. It is a little risky to keep this weapon on you for the late game, and its effectiveness later on really depends on whether or not you are able to get your hands on a Turbocharger.
Nevertheless, in case you manage to find the pivotal hop-up along with this weapon, then the Havoc is unmatched in its class. This weapon is an S-tier with a Turbocharger but a B-tier without.
R-99 — Light SMG
The R-99 has a reputation for being an SMG that is capable of making it rain torrential gunfire in Apex Legends. It is safe to say that this reputation is very much alive and well in Season 16. Laser sights were used in Season 14, which left barrel stabilizers in the dust for SMGs.
The R-99 is much better up close than it used to be in the past but slightly worse at gunfights beyond 30 meters or so. Using the R-99 along with a Shotgun will confine players to close range and has made this SMG a bit more niche than Assault Rifles such as the Flatline or R-301.
The R-99 still destroys its enemies like no other if they let you get close enough to land shots, but it is outperformed by other options if you are unable to close the gap successfully.
B-Tier
Volt — Energy SMG
It is the first time in Season 16 of Apex Legends that the Volt has not been a hard meta weapon ever since its release way back in Season 16. It has held the title of being one of the best weapons in the game as a whole and the king of the SMG class.
Unfortunately, it has got several issues in Season 16. First of all, this weapon being locked in the crafting rotation severely diminishes its value as an early-game pickup. It used to be a blessing for the player to drop next to the Volt in any of the previous seasons where it was not a care package weapon.
Secondly, shotguns are way better now after the Season 16 buffs, which makes it even more difficult to justify using most SMGs than it was in the past. These factors, along with the strength of the Nemesis AR, indicate that players will want to funnel that Energy ammo towards other options.
The Volt is still considered a weapon of great value, but one should not be swarming the crafter to get their hands on it.
Prowler Burst PDW — Heavy SMG
The Prowler is a lethal weapon that can shine bright if a player is fortunate enough to get one in their possession earlier in the game. Nevertheless, it does have some value later on in the game, too, if you decide to keep it.
It is best in its damage and rate of fire, especially when combined with its epic hip-fire accuracy with a laser sight. If you have the ability to land a five-shot burst onto your enemy, you will easily deal 75 damage. If you hit twice, that will result in a down on a white-shielded enemy.
The Prowler takes Heavy ammo which makes it easy to stay stocked up with this weapon, and if it were not for the weapon’s burst pattern, it would easily be an A-tier weapon. However, using this SMG outside of close range can be pretty frustrating to no end.
The 5-round burst pattern feels terrible at anything past 50-60 meters and makes this weapon a lot less attractive choice than most of the other SMGs.
Alternator — SMG
Since always, the Alternator has struggled to shine under the shadow of its big brothers, the R-99 and R-301, in the Light class. However, there is always a time and place for the slow-firing SMG.
This weapon is a powerful early pickup because of its good hipfire, slow-yet-consistent rate of fire, and some amazing iron sights. The Alternator does not need any attachments to become a powerful weapon.
All of that, combined with a laser sight, automatically makes this weapon feel like it is straight out of Halo or Counter-Strike: aiming is optional.
The weapon’s high damage for bullets also makes it much easier for players to get a kill without reloading. This makes this weapon an ideal choice for Apex players just starting out with the game who do not have the precision to one-clip their enemies with the R-99.
Devotion — Energy LMG
The Devotion is no longer in the crafting rotation, and it still remains quite the same. It is not the best weapon in Apex Legends, but it is one that has a place in the game. This energy LMG is probably the most lethal weapon in the game if one can get it to fire on all cylinders.
It boasts a deadly 255 damage per second, but only if you can manage to keep its recoil under control. However, Barrel stabilizers are quite common these days, and there is some real value in taking this weapon if you can find a Turbocharger.
The weapon is clearly an A-tier weapon with a Turbocharger but a C-tier without one. Giving this weapon a place in the B-tier makes perfect sense.
Charge Rifle — Sniper Rifle
There was nothing better than the time when the Charge Rifle landed in World’s Edge in Season 3 of Apex Legends. Its long energy beams could easily carve teams up, and in case players did not find cover fast, they could be melted before they were able to return a shot.
However, after two huge nerfs, the Charge Rifle lacked a little when it came to its usefulness, and the Winter of the Beam Shot came to an end. Nevertheless, there is still a pretty powerful use case for this one-of-a-kind sniper.
Although it goes through ammo pretty quickly and immediately gives away the player’s location, having the power of hitscan on one's side can be game-changing. For players who have a steady hand, the Charge Rifle can be of great value.
Longbow DMR — Sniper Rifle
The Longbow is an extremely powerful as well as consistent Marksman Rifle in Apex Legends. It is also one that is definitely worth picking up now more than ever.
Barrel stabilizers can be found very easily, Sniper ammo is more plentiful than ever, and Skullpiercer rewards players that take the time and risk to go for headshots. Even without the help of a scope, the iron sights provide a clear view.
Furthermore, with 55 damage per shot, it will easily put down a majority of the targets with only a few solid shots. In addition to that, the Skullpiercer hop-up will give this Marksman rifle quite an edge. The ability to 2-shot headshot an opponent provides the Longbow with an incredibly low TTK.
This rifle is not as quick to fire and versatile as the G7 Scout and 30-30, and it has the caveat of being locked behind the crafting rotation. But it can still turn out to be quite helpful in the right situation.
L-Star — Energy LMG
The LMG category of Apex Legends is not the best spot right now. Although the Rampage remains an amazingly powerful choice, the Spitfire and Devotion are not stellar weapons.
After going through some huge buffs over the course of the past couple of seasons, the L-Star has climbed its way up the LMG ladder and has put itself in a place to be worth picking up at most times.
You might ask if it is still the worst LMG. This is quite debatable, but the L-Star surely has more use cases now as compared to before. Now that it has the ability to shoot 24 shots before overheating, the L-Star still has a special place in the game as a weapon that (in theory) never has to reload.
Alas, the L-Star still comes with a big warning in the form of running through ammo and not really having the luxury of spare ammo when players first pick it up in the game. The L-Star is quite useful in plenty of ways, but a gun is not worth a lot if you do not have the ammo for it.
The amount of time it takes to hoard ammo, along with its lukewarm performance beyond close-mid range, makes this weapon stay in the B-tier.
M600 Spitfire — Light Machine Gun
Spitfire is a shell of what it once was, ravaged by the changes to the weapon in Apex Legends Season 14. The Spitfire shines when it comes to its massive magazine and steady rate of fire. But the recoil nerfs have made this weapon way harder to use at medium range.
It is not so good at close range or medium range and is borderline unusable at long range. This weapon is not an easy sell. Regardless, the Spitfire can be quite strong since it has got such a large magazine size, but it is difficult to justify putting it in any higher tier than B-tier as compared to the other weapons.
C Tier
Triple Take — Energy Marksman Rifle
The Triple Take is one weapon that has tons of potential and can do plenty of damage. It can also be easier to use in close quarters as compared to other DMRs, and it can also be very strong when placed in the right hands.
However, the Triple Take only once in a while live up to its potential. With the Longbow, G7, and 30-30 all filling its role with more ammo efficiency and versatility, this gun feels like it has been left in the dust.
Kinetic Feeder was removed in Season 15 of Apex Legends, but it is not like the hop-up assisted this weapon’s power level much, anyways. Furthermore, sliding and long-range fire do not mix quite well.
The Triple Take is just fine, and it is hard to get excited about coming across this weapon on the ground.
Sentinel — Sniper Rifle
Considering how powerful Marksman Rifles are, there is no point in picking up the Sentinel unless you do not have any other option or really want to. The frequency in which you will be fighting at a range that this weapon is good at is fairly low.
It is nearly impossible to get a 2-shot kill on a purple shield or higher without a headshot, it gets out-DPSed, but almost every weapon in the game and does not have the same hitscan power as the Charge Rifle.
If it was not for the Sentinel coming with Deadeye’s Tempo built-in, this Sniper Rifle would be way beyond D-tier even. Bolt action snipers are quite satisfying, and you enjoy using them. This is the reason why it hurts to put the Sentinel so low.
All the other options in the Marksman and Sniper categories are way better. The Sentinel is more of a fun weapon than a useful or good one, but it can still be useful in the hands of a deadeye sniper.
D Tier
Mozambique — Shotgun
The Mozambique is not a very good gun. Although it has more range as compared to the other weapons present in its class, the Mozambique’s low damage, along with the removal of Hammerpoint rounds in Season 15, has placed it right back in the D-tier.
The Mozam’s best and worst are all combined into one with its long range. Three 15-damage pellets in a tight spread give this Shotgun deceptively long range but also make it shockingly unwieldy at close range.
Hip-firing with this weapon is entirely unreliable, but ADSing also feels quite off owing to its slow projectile speed. The Mozambique is a bit bizarre and hard to use and can only work as a last resort, but one might be better off throwing hands than going with this Shotgun.
P2020 — Light Pistol
When Hamerpoint rounds were in Apex Legends, the P2020 was already a D-tier weapon, and it’s in an even more sorry state now that they are gone. Despite the Hammerpoint rounds and a laser sight, it is quite difficult to justify holding on to this pistol.
The highest praise that can be levied toward the P2020 is that it does, in fact, function. Surely, it's better than throwing bullets at your enemy, but not by much. Kidding aside, even with the P2020 being a subpar weapon, it can still dish enough damage to take down enemies if you have a fast trigger finger.
It is definitely usable, but that is the highest praise we can offer to this weapon and that it deserves.
Keep in mind that this tier list is subjective and subject to change, depending on future updates with weapon buffs as well as nerfs.
