A wide range of Battlefield 2042 weapons will eventually be at your disposal, but as you start out you'll only have seven of them in your arsenal – one for each type of weapon available. As you progress you'll gradually unlock access to all 22 weapons, and as you continue to use a particular weapon you'll unlock additional attachments to go with it. The updated customization system means that you can now switch out attachments during the heat of battle, adjusting your optics, ammo and magazine type, plus barrel and underbarrel attachments to best suit the situation you're currently in. If you want to know what's available, then here are all of the weapons that you can unlock in Battlefield 2042.
Battlefield 2042 weapon types
You can equip any of the below weapons in your Loadouts for your Battlefield 2042 Specialists to use. All the weapons listed below are unlockable in Battlefield 2042 and are organized by weapon type. The weapons in each type are then sorted by the level at which you unlock them, with the default unlocks appearing first. These weapon categories are:
- Assault Rifles – Versatile rifles that are useful for a variety of ranges
- SMGs – Close-range weapons with high fire rates and quick handling
- LMGs – Heavy guns with large magazines and good suppressing capabilities
- Marksman – Rifles with great range that bridge the gap between Assault Rifle and Sniper Rifle
- Sniper – Precision rifles made for picking off targets at extreme ranges
- Utility – Shotguns for close-range fights, but who knows what else could fit in this category
- Pistols – Snappy sidearms that can quickly finish off enemies
It’s also worth mentioning that there are lots of other weapons from past Battlefield games as part of Battlefield 2042 Portal, such as the AN-94, M60, and M1 Garand. All these historical weapons are available to all players right away, and they can only be used in Portal modes.
Battlefield 2042 assault rifles
M5A3
The M5A3 is Battlefield 2042’s most standard weapon. A real all-rounder with a decent rate of fire and easy-to-control vertical recoil making it useful in closer engagements, and adequate range and good attachments to make it better for further targets.
AK-24
Standing in as a standard weapon for Russian forces, the AK-24 packs a greater punch compared to the M5A3 and has better range. Its lower handling and slower fire rate mean it’s going to get beaten by other Assault Rifles and any SMG at close-range, so it’s best to spec the AK-24 for longer range fights with a zoomed optic and extended barrel. Note that this weapon can be fired in single fire and burst modes as well as full auto!
SFAR-M GL
Taking the spot of high-power Assault Rifle in Battlefield 2042 is the SFAR-M. This weapon boasts the highest damage out of the Assault Rifles and comes with solid range and accuracy. It’s handling leaves a lot to be desired, however, and the 20-round magazine means you must make every shot count, otherwise you’ll face a punishing reload. This Assault Rifle also come equipped with an underbarrel grenade launcher right off the bat.
AC-42
The AC-42 is the high fire rate, bullet hose of the Battlefield 2042 Assault Rifle family. It comes with solid base stats like the M5A3 but with slightly better accuracy and range, and a much better fire rate at 1200 RPM – the M5A3 is only 750 RPM and the SFAR is a mere 600. This weapon can be devastating in the right hands, provided you can control the recoil and maintain a rapid trigger finger.
Battlefield 2042 SMGs
PBX-45
If you’re looking for an easy Battlefield 2042 SMG to use, the PMX-45 is the one for you. It’s high fire rate means it has moderate recoil, but it’s so vertical that it turns out to be easy to control. As an SMG, it obviously handles very quickly and is great for sweeping through tight interiors near Conquest points.
PP-29
Having only marginally weaker accuracy and handling stats compared to the PBX-45, the PP-29 is another good SMG to use. Its fire rate is only 650 RPM, but it boasts a huge 53-round magazine – the largest of the SMGs by a long way. It can kick quite hard so a muzzle brake might be needed to make the PP-29 easier to control.
MP9
The MP9 is more of a machine pistol than an SMG. Given its tiny size, it’s obviously got snappy handling compared to the other SMGs, controllable recoil, and a fast 900 RPM fire rate, but lacks in pretty much all other aspects. This weapon suits extremely mobile Specialists, like MacKay, for an aggressive run-and-gun or stealthier playstyles.
K30
If the MP9 was a weapon good for aggressive playstyles, then the K30 is reserved for aggression only. It’s got the highest fire rate in the SMG category of 1150 RPM, giving it great DPS, and its lower recoil and faster handling make it potent in good hands. Be aware that its especially low range means sneaking around and even using a suppressor is advisable.
Battlefield 2042 LMGs
LCMG
The LCMG is everything you’d expect from a light machine gun. Its fire rate is on the low side, but it pumps out plenty of high damage bullets with surprisingly low recoil. With a 100-round magazine, it’s great for suppressing your enemies. You can even equip it with anti-material rounds that deal more damage to vehicles in Battlefield 2042.
PKP-BP
If you’re up for something a bit harder to handle in Battlefield 2042, the PKP-BP LMG offers more firepower, largely thanks to a 200-round magazine and a fire rate of 800 RPM, compared to the LCMG’s 600 RPM. The PKP is the ultimate suppressing weapon but can be lethal if you’re able to work around its poor accuracy and handling.
Battlefield 2042 Marksman Rifles
DM7
The DM7 feels like a modified version of the M5A3 Assault Rifle. It’s got all the reliability and well roundedness of that assault rifle but in a long-range form, with a much longer barrel, high damage bullets, and the ability to equip higher zoom optics. This weapon is flexible enough that it’ll allow you to pick off enemies at range like a sniper while also letting you reposition more easily.
SVK
Behaving much more like a Sniper Rifle, the SVK features higher damage and range compared to the DM7 but lacks in handling, fire rate, and magazine size. With the inability to rapidly fire successive shots, you’ll be relying on your accuracy a lot more with the SVK. If you want a longer-range weapon but don’t want to commit to a Sniper Rifle, the SVK is for you.
VCAR
The VCAR is a bit of an oddity for a Marksman weapon. It’s a comparatively small weapon with very low firepower, but it makes up for it with a large 20-round magazine and 450 RPM fire rate. The VCAR is actually more like a longer-range pistol, meaning it can be good for chipping away at enemies that are further away, but also functions like a single fire SMG up close. However you use this weapon, accuracy is key as missing your shots will mean you’ll get easily outclassed by all other weapon types.
Battlefield 2042 Sniper Rifles
SWS-10
The SWS-10 is a bolt-action sniper rifle that handles surprisingly quickly. With an eight-round magazine and a quick bolt cycle, you can quite easily deliver rapid sniper shots for good suppression or easy kills. You can even go for a high-power marksman rifle loadout by forgoing an optic and sticking with the iron sights.
DXR-1
The only way for the other Sniper Rifles to go from the SWS-10 in terms of firepower is up. The DXR-1 min-maxes the stats of the SWS even more with a slower fire rate, 5-round magazine, and poorer handling in exchange for more damage, range, and accuracy. The DXR also comes with a 8x zoom scope by default, compared to the SWS’s default 6x zoom scope, so you’ll be able to accurately aim further right from the start with this weapon.
NTW-50
The NTW-50 is pretty much as powerful as it gets from a base weapon in Battlefield 2042. While the NTW is technically a Sniper Rifle and can take down enemies at extremely long ranges, it’s also an anti-materiel rifle that can deal decent damage to vehicles. If you opt to haul the NTW along in your loadout, be prepared to take on a more supportive, vehicle-killer role. The extremely low 24 RPM fire rate, 3-round magazine, and very slow handling mean this is not a good Sniper Rifle for defeating soldiers.
Battlefield 2042 shotguns
MCS-880
The MCS-880 is Battlefield 2042’s standard pump-action shotgun weapon. It delivers the usual pellet spread you’d expect to see from a shotgun with a good fire rate for quick follow up shots. A run-and-gun playstyle is essential to make shotguns viable in Battlefield 2042 due to the size of the maps but equipping slug rounds will add a more range to your MCS-880.
GVT 45-70
Now for a completely bizarre Battlefield 2042 weapon, the GVT 45-70 is a lever-action slug shotgun. That means it fires a large, precision round instead of the usual pellet spread, and its lever needs to be charged after every shot to load the next slug. This setup gives the GVT great range and accuracy for a shotgun and it even comes with a 2x zoon scope to help. Although, the relatively low 92 RPM fire rate for this shotgun means you’ll get easily taken down by other close-range weapons if you aren’t accurate enough.
12M Auto
Serving as Battlefield 2042’s only full auto shotgun, the 12M comes equipped with an 8-round magazine that it can get through pretty quickly with a fire rate of 300 RPM. It hasn’t quite got the range or damage to match the MCS-880 but it’s larger magazine and rapid fire means aggression with this weapon is often rewarded. You’ll want a mobile Specialist and perhaps some Armor Plates to give you that extra health boost for frantic close-range battles.
Battlefield 2042 pistols
G57
Battlefield 2042’s starting sidearm is the G57. It’s the most basic pistol out there, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad. The low damage shots are balanced by a solid fire rate and a large magazine. If you’re caught short with a reload in a head-on fight, switching to your G57 will always be faster than reloading.
MP28
The default stock, grip, and casing gizmos on the MP28 mean it’s more than just a standard pistol like the G57. Its handling suffers a little as a result, but the pistol is accurate and has better range, making it a precision sidearm. It’s a great weapon to quickly switch to if you need a bit of close-range, precision fire while using a full auto weapon like an SMG.
M44
A revolver of some kind is almost a legal requirement in shooter video games and the M44 fills that slot in Battlefield 2042. It has a small 6-round magazine but each of those bullets has good range, accuracy, and packs a serious punch. Unfortunately, you also bear the force of each shot as well, since the handling is incredibly poor, with a slow reload and high recoil. Let’s be honest, you’re probably using this for style points, even if it is powerful.
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