Battlefield 6 is all about the large-scale combat where 64 players, divided into two teams of 32, fight it out to capture objectives and claim victory. However, being a military shooter, weapons are everything in this game, and picking the best one is essential to gain an upper hand in combat.
Players might argue that a weapon is only as good as the person who uses it and that attachments and loadouts often play a key role in their performance. Even then, certain weapons in the Beta are better than the others, and here’s a tier list that puts them in their rightful order.
Best Weapons Tier List in Battlefield 6 Beta
There are a total of 15 weapons in Battlefield 6 Beta, divided between seven classes, which include Assault Rifles, Carbine, SMG, LMG, DMR, Sniper Rifle, and Shotgun. Depending on the scenario, all of the weapons do have a place in the meta. However, some of them have a more all-round performance, and the following table indicates how we are ranking them.
| Tier | Weapon |
|---|---|
| S | M87A1, NVO-228E, PW7A2, M2010 ESR |
| A | AK-205, SGX, L110, M39 EMR |
| B | M4A1, B36A4, M433, KTS100 MK8, SVK-8.6, M417 A2 |
| C | P18 |
Before we can discuss each of the weapons in detail, it’s essential to clarify how the tier list has been adjusted. Here, S-tier denotes the best weapons across every scenario, A-tier denotes very good weapons, and B-tier denotes weapons that are situational and useful in the right hands. Finally, C-tier is for the weapons that you won’t be using unless it’s necessary.
Finally, it’s also important to clarify that this tier list has been compiled after testing the various weapons during the beta across all playable maps. However, the order in which they have been placed can vary depending on the experience of the players.
C-Tier: P18 (Handgun)
The P18 Handgun is quite possibly the worst weapon in the game, and you’ll only use it if you run out of ammo. The weapon deals 25 damage, which isn’t bad, but the fire rate (399) is very bad, which means if you don’t hit in the head, the enemy can turn around and kill you easily. There are no other Handguns as of the Beta, but if the developers add more, then there might be better choices for the players, especially if things like the Desert Eagle make their way.
B-Tier: M4A1 (Carbine)
The M4A1 is arguably one of the weakest weapons in the game, despite it being one of the most popular Carbine Rifles in most FPS games. The fire rate of the M4A1 is very high (900), but it deals very low precision damage. This means you’ll lose out on any long-to-medium-range gunfights.
Ideally, you would want to use the M4A1 in close-range combat, but the SMGs and the Shotgun are better options. This is because the fire rate of the SMG especially surpasses the M4A1, and the Shotgun can one-shot players. The worst part about the M4A1 is that it feels horrible without attachments, where nobody seems to be dying, which puts this weapon very low on the pecking order.
B-Tier: B36A4 (Assault Rifle)
The B36A4 is quite possibly one of the weakest weapons in the game, due to its Mobility and Control. The damage of this gun isn’t bad, but it has a very bad recoil in a game where most of the powerful weapons shoot like a laser (even the Sniper Rifle). In such a scenario, unless you have very good recoil control, you’ll struggle. Additionally, this weapon unlocks at level 20, which makes it even worse, since the weapons you unlock early are way better.
B-Tier: M433 (Assault Rifle)
The M433 Assault Rifle suffers from the exact same issue as the M4A1, where it has a high fire rate and lower damage, but other weapons simply perform better. In fact, the fire rate of the M433 is lower than the M4A1. This means the chances of you winning a gun fight against an SMG are almost negligible.
Apart from that, when you try to take a long or medium-range fight, you’ll feel the weapon never kills anyone. This is because the damage fall off from the weapon is quite brutal, and even a headshot won’t kill, whenever you pick up a fight that isn’t at a point-blank range.
B-Tier: KTS100 MK8 (LMG)
When you use an LMG, there are two distinct features you’ll look for: fire rate and ammo capacity. The KTS100 MK8 lacks in both of those areas when compared to the L110 LMG. The KTS100 ML8 only has a 60 magazine capacity and 514 fire rate, which means you’ll lose out against any player who gets behind cover while the LMG is shooting.
Additionally, similar to any LMG, the KTS100 MK8 reloads very slowly, which means you are vulnerable in almost every scenario. If you really like the weapon, then you can use it, but you’ll have to hit headshots with it, which is often difficult with an LMG. The bad recoil of KTS100 MK8 makes this even harder.
B-Tier: SVK- 8.6 (DMR)
While the M39 EMR redeems the DMR class, the SVK-8.6 brings you back to reality on how bad these weapons can be. The SVK-8.6 features only 149 fire rate and 10 magazine capacity, when compared to the M39 RMG with 257 fire rate and 20 magazine capacity. This means the SVK 8.6 is usable in only long-range scenarios.
However, it also means you’ll have to consistently hit in the head with the SVK-8.6, since the low fire rate and magazine capacity mean you don’t have the luxury to waste bullets. The problem is, why will you use a DMR that relies on headshots when you can easily use a Sniper Rifle. This makes the SVK-8.6 pretty bad, and unless you’re consistent with your shots, you’ll struggle to find kills.
B-Tier: M417 A2 (Carbine)
The M417 A2 Carbine is a decent weapon, but it simply falls behind when you compare it to the rest of the roster. This weapon features a 654 fire rate and 33 damage, which isn’t bad. However, the problem is the magazine capacity of 20, where it will run out of bullets very easily.
Apart from that, the control (33) and mobility (65) of the weapon are also pretty low, which means you won’t be able to run around with it as easily. As such, you have to be very precise with your headshots in close to mid-range combat, thereby making it difficult to use. Ideally, a difficult weapon isn’t bad, but when others are using easier weapons that simply perform better, you will struggle to pick up kills.
A-Tier: AK-205 (Carbine)
When creating this tier-list, I was in two minds where to put the AK-205: the S-tier or A-tier. While there are a lot of good things about the AK-205, the limited range where this weapon shines meant that it finally ended up in the A-tier. This weapon is all about stability, where it features good damage (20), a pretty decent fire rate (720), and good handling (65). Ideally, if you’re in a mid-range combat, you should be winning most of your duels.
The problem with this weapon is that, in close-range combat, the damage isn’t there when compared to the fire rate. You’ll lose out against SMGs, which puts it behind the NVO-228E Assault Rifle that will win out due to the higher damage. When you try to fight with it at long ranges, the damage fall-off is too high to compete.
A-Tier: SGX (SMG)
The SGX is the second SMG you get access to in the Battlefield 6 Beta and is quite strong, though not on par with the PW7A2. When it comes to close-range combat, you will win out against most Assault Rifles and Carbines, but you’ll lose out against the M87A1 Shotgun. Additionally, the reload time (2.484) and handling (69) of this SMG are not that good, which means you will have to spend some time getting used to its recoil.
A-Tier: L110 (LMG)
When it comes to sustained damage, there’s nothing better in the game than the L110 LMG. It shoots very fast (719) and deals a lot of damage (25). In fact, the bullet capacity of the weapon is so big that you can keep shooting at enemies while they run out of bullets in the Assault Rifles and Carbines.
The problem with the L110 is its reload speed (6.500), which is very slow. If you run out of bullets, you’ll have to take some form of cover and sit there for a minute at least before the LMG is ready once again. This will put you in a vulnerable spot, where either you can die to an aggressive enemy or open opportunities for your targets to run away.
A-Tier: M39 EMR (DMR)
Even though we aren’t big fans of DMRs, the M39 EMR is one of the best we have come across in an FPS game. This weapon has a surprisingly high fire rate (257) for a DMG, which is also accompanied by good handling (257) and Mobility (49). You can play aggressively with this weapon and run around the maps without much worry.
The problem is, at the end of the day, it’s still a DMG, and if you miss your shots, you’ll be punished. Additionally, you’ll lose out on both short and long-range encounters, and you’ll have to strictly adhere to medium-range gunfights. This makes the weapon not so new player-friendly, as you’ll have to study your position and learn what kinds of gunfights you can pick up.
S-Tier: M87A1 (Shotgun)
This is quite possibly the best weapon in the Battlefield 6 Beta, as you can dominate your lobbies with it across all four maps. All you need to do is pick this weapon, get on the objective, and start one-shotting anyone within 25 meters of range. The best part about this weapon is that it’s very easy to use, and both new players and veterans can make the most out of it.
Additionally, this weapon also places itself incredibly well within how Battlefield 6 has been designed as a game. There is a little Call of Duty aspect where players are sliding and running around without paying much attention to their surroundings. In such cases, if you are holding a chokepoint with the Shotgun, you can easily stack over 30 kills irrespective of the map or the lobby.
S-Tier: NVO-228E (Assault Rifle)
The NVO-228E Assault Rifle is all about its bullet damage (33), where it can shred through enemies, especially if you’re hitting headshots. This weapon does have a lower fire rate (654), but the bullet damage is so high, you will shut down enemies very quickly. The TTK of Battlefield 6 can be a bit inconsistent, but we have noticed that about three to four bullets are enough to take down enemies.
There are times when low fire rate weapons can become a detriment when taking gunfights at close range. However, with this weapon, that is usually not the case, since it can hipfire quite well, which makes close-range encounters a breeze. Once you attach a good Scope to it, irrespective of close or long range, you can use it in every scenario.
S-Tier: PW7A2 (SMG)
If you’re looking for a weapon that specifically excels in close-range combat other than the Shotgun, there’s nothing better than the PW7A2 SMG. It boasts a massive 974 ROF (Rate of Fire), which makes it one of the fastest weapons in the game. While this fire rate does come at the cost of its range, you will never use an SMG in a long-range duel anyway.
S-Tier: M2010 ESR (Sniper Rifle)
When it comes to long-range combat, there’s nothing better than the M2010 ESR Sniper Rifle, which is currently a menace at Liberation Peak. Ideally, Sniper Rifles in most games have high recoil and below-average handling. That is not the case with the M2010 ESR, since when you fire the weapon, it barely kicks, which makes it easy to proceed with a follow-up shot.
Apart from that, Battlefield 6 has the Sweet Spot mechanic present, where a shot in the chest also leads to a one-shot kill. As such, with a Sniper Rifle such as the M2010 ESR, you can easily play aggressively and run around among players, provided you are good at quick scoping. The big Sniper Glint is an issue, which will make you a target for sure in Battlefield 6, but as long as you’re switching your positions, you’ll stack up a huge number of kills with this weapon.
