Best guns in Apex Legends Season 20: Ultimate weapon tier list (March 2024)

❘ Updated: 2024-02-28T09:14:55

Ash looms over Apex Legends best weapons.

Respawn Entertainment

Choosing the right weapons in Apex Legends is crucial to racking up wins. To help, we’ve compiled a detailed tier list for the best weapons in Season 20 of Apex.

Season 20 of Apex Legends introduced major overhauls to nearly all game mechanics. This includes the complete removal of the crafting rotation, the integration of EVO shields directly with character progression throughout a match, the exclusion of the Prowler from care packages, and a significant revamp of the ranked play system to address issues of gameplay stagnation in recent seasons.

Additionally, many weapons had their numbers swapped around in the Season 20 patch. The Prowler, for instance, feels much worse than even before it was put in the care package due to having its burst delay increased.

So, here’s a rundown of the best weapons in Apex Legends Season 20.

S-Tier: Must-take weapons

A-Tier: Top-tier early, mid, and late

B-Tier: Solid picks, are replaceable

C-Tier: Ok picks, never main guns

D-Tier: Just avoid these weapons

With that in mind, here is our ultimate Apex Legends weapon tier list for the best guns to use in Season 20:

S Tier

Kraber .50 CAL — Care Package Sniper

In the sniper category, the Kraber is the clear king. Even after a number of nerfs a few seasons ago, the Kraber is still an S-tier gun and has remained on top of the food chain.

Although its one-shot headshot potential has been reduced, the Kraber is still an unbelievably strong weapon. This bolt-action sniper does massive damage at pretty much any range. And, even if you miss the head, you’ll soften up opponents enough for a quick weapon swap or an assist from a teammate to easily confirm the kill.

If you’re lucky enough to come across it, someone on your squad should take it. Even if you aren’t the best sniper, playing against someone who’s good with the Kraber can be an absolute nightmare.

Nemesis — Energy Assault Rifle

The launch of Season 16 brought with it a brand-new Assault Rifle: the Nemesis. In comparison to the rest of the weapons in Apex Legends, this gun truly stands out.

It needs some attachments to get going, but the Nemesis’ mag size, its high stopping power at 17 damage per shot, high fire rate, low recoil, and almost non-existent bullet drop make this thing a laser beam both literally and figuratively.

Once you get the hang of its 4-shot burst pattern and get into the rhythm of using this weapon properly, it hits incredibly hard. However, it does have a bit of a learning curve, and its burst fire makes it awkward to use in close range.

G7 Scout — Light Marksman Rifle

The G7 Scout is an absolute workhorse. While it’s not the best weapon at close range in Apex Legends and gets outdone at extreme ranges by snipers, it’s an incredibly reliable mid-range weapon that rewards precision while leaving room for error.

With a scope and some range between you and your target, the Scout’s ability to spam shots will annoy other squads to no end. It’s also extremely ammo efficient and frees up some inventory space in comparison to a typical Assault Rifle or SMG.

The white magazine upgrade takes the Scout from 10 ammo to 15, meaning that you don’t need the best attachments to give this weapon some massive upgrades. The Scout is rarely a bad option.

VK-47 Flatline — Heavy Assault Rifle

The Flatline is one of the best Assault Rifles in Apex Legends in terms of raw damage output. Despite having some pretty awful ironsights and more recoil than the R-301, its Light ammo counterpart, the Flatline is S-tier for a few reasons.

One of the key areas where the Flatline shines is its unchanging nature. Its recoil is solid, its damage is mid-range but good, and it boasts decent range for an assault rifle. Not only that, but it doesn’t need many attachments to thrive. The base Flatline is an exceptionally strong weapon, and it’s good at all points in the game.

It’s inched the R-301 out of S-tier following the Season 15 changes, and the Flatline’s hipfire is still solid despite the nerfs. If you’re looking for an Assault Rifle that isn’t the Nemesis, this is a great all-rounder.

Bocek — Care Package Compound Bow

The Bocek Bow came into Apex Legends as a monstrous weapon, one that broke the meta and was an absolute terror in mid-range engagements before getting nerfed. After being restricted to the care package, this bow has landed it a bit closer to its power level at release with some added versatility.

Shatter Caps and Deadeye’s Tempo don’t exist as floor pickups anymore. Instead, they just come stock standard with the Bocek. And, despite not being able to pick up arrows anymore, 60 arrows is more than enough to last through most games of Apex.

The near-silent and somewhat incognito nature of the Bocek combined with its base damage of 70 make it capable of outtrading other marksman weapons with ease.

Peacekeeper — Shotgun

The Peacekeeper is an incredibly popular Shotgun choice, and for good reason. Its high damage, accuracy at range, and incredibly satisfying 2-hit kills in earlier stages of the game make it an incredibly attractive pickup.

Not only that, but the addition of Disruptor rounds on this weapon in Season 18 make it even more likely to net you a two-shot kill on targets. That additional damage to shields really puts this weapon over the edge and into S-tier territory.

If you’re calm and collected in the most hectic of close-range fights and can maintain a steady hand, the Peacekeeper is the Shotgun for you.

Wingman — Sniper Pistol

The Wingman has always been around the top of the Apex Legends meta, but it can be tricky to get full power out of; it’s a pistol that rewards pinpoint accuracy for players. We’re assuming you’re picking up the hard-to-handle handgun if you can land your shots.

Now in the care package, with Skullpiercer Elite (ignores helmets for headshots) now that it has Skullpiercers. This, plus 50 base damage, makes the Wingman a weapon that’ll quickly shred the competition in the hands of a seasoned player.

Volt — Energy SMG

The Volt is the king of SMGs in Apex Legends. Even through some minor nerfs here and there, this gun is easily the most reliable weapon in the category.

It’s got great ironsights and high DPS for early-game fights, and it does just as well with attachments. And, with the R-99 getting a small mag nerf, there’s more reason than ever to grab this weapon.

It’s really, really hard to go wrong with the Volt. As long as you’re within 50 meters of your opponent, it’s one of the best weapons you can have in your hands.

A Tier

Eva-8 Auto — Care Package Shotgun

After spending a few seasons on the bench, the EVA-8 is back and better than ever in the care package. Well, ok, it’s not quite as broken as it was in early seasons, but it’s finally worth picking up again.

The EVA-8 may not have its usefulness as a strong early game pickup anymore thanks to it being put in the care package, but this souped-up version gives the EVA-8 an identity as a rapid fire shotgun the game has arguably never had. Between its golden shotgun bolt giving it 2 rounds per proc instead of 1 and a base fire rate increase, the EVA is a great choice if you want something very close to you very dead.

However, this weapon has also received a damage reduction per pellet from 7 damage to 6 and has much less one or even two shot potential than before. There’s a shot you may still get outtraded by a player with a Peacekeeper and a steady hand, making it hard to justify putting this gun in S-tier.

Mastiff — Shotgun

This shotty’s power lies in its tight, horizontal pellet spread. The requirement to ADS for decent accuracy takes some getting used to, but a good player with a Mastiff in hand is an absolute menace.

Having a consistent 2-shot kill that has above-average accuracy at range for a shotgun makes the Mastiff incredibly lethal. Even with a 5-shot capacity and a somewhat slow rate of fire, the Mastiff’s close-range prowess is unrivaled in Apex. If you land your shots.

This weapon is in A-tier because of how much more difficult it is to use than its counterparts. If you’ve got a feel for the Mastiff’s unique spread pattern, it’s great. If you don’t? You won’t be hitting much. The Mastiff is a very hot and cold weapon, but its upsides make it more than worth putting in A-tier.

Rampage — Heavy LMG

While its lack of prowess at close range keeps it from being a true S-tier weapon, everything else about the Rampage is good. Low recoil, massive mag size, high damage per shot, and it does well even with no attachments while still being worth kitting out.

What’s more, its ability to rip through doors if you’ve got a Thermite grenade to charge it up with makes it easy to catch opponents off guard. Combined with its increased fire rate when charged, the Rampage is great for players who enjoy holding down the shoot button and putting rounds down range. This thing shreds.

If DMRs like the Scout and 30-30 don’t appeal to you as single-fire weapons, the Rampage is a great choice with its higher fire rate and general ease of use. It’s really hard to go wrong with this gun, but it has a bit less versatility than an Assault Rifle.

R-301 Carbine — Light Assault Rifle

The R-301 has been an all-rounder since Apex Legends first dropped, and it’s remained that way ever since. It’s now in the crafter as of Season 19.

While its capacity without a light magazine upgrade is pretty small at 18 rounds, its laser precision and high fire rate make it a rifle that’s hard to pass on. If you pick up the R-301, you know what you’re getting.

The R-301 isn’t particularly interesting or ground-breaking as a weapon, but its consistency and reliability make it a wonderful choice in any gunfight. However, the slight damage nerf it received, the enhanced potency of the 30-30 and Triple Take, and the Rampage being back on the floor gives this weapon enough competition to put it below S-tier.

C.A.R. — Light/Heavy SMG

Designed to carry light or heavy ammo, and attachments from either gun line, the CAR SMG is the perfect secondary weapon to stuff in your pocket to avoid those pesky moments when you’re starved of ammo.

Though it’s had a fair few nerfs and lacks the ability to take a laser sight like its other SMG counterparts, it’s been able to stay in A tier due to being a reliable, consistent, all-around great firearm. That said, its nerfs haven’t gone unnoticed.

A somewhat underwhelming magazine size combined with recoil that, while consistent at ~50 meters or less, falls off at longer ranges. This weapon will never be a bad pickup, but it does have its weaknesses.

R-99 — Light SMG

The R-99‘s identity as an SMG that rains torrential gunfire is alive and well in Apex Legends Season 16. Laser sights were implemented in Season 14, leaving barrel stabilizers in the dust for SMGs. The R-99 is better up close than ever before, but a bit worse at engagements beyond 30 or so meters. Running the R-99 with a Shotgun will confine you to close range, and has made this SMG a bit more niche than Assault Rifles like the Flatline or R-301.

The R-99 still shreds opponents like no other if they let you get close enough to land shots, but it’s outperformed by other options if you can’t close the gap.

M600 Spitfire — Light Machine Gun

The Spitfire is back! Kind of.

It’s not nearly as broken as it was in its heyday, but recent seasons have been kind to this LMG. Though it still has many of the pitfalls that come with LMGs like slow movement speed while ADSed, the barrel stabilizer returning combined with a few small buffs has put this weapon back into viability.

Unless you can get your hands on the L-Star, it’s the best LMG you can find. You’re not going to be taking out targets past, say, 100 meters with this weapon any time soon, but its strength at mid/short range combined with its magazine size makes it a viable main weapon option for the first time in a while.

Alternator — SMG

The Alternator has always struggled to shine behind its big brothers the R-99 and R-301 in the Light class, but it’s been surprisingly strong in the last few seasons for a few reasons.

Good hipfire, a slow-yet-consistent rate of fire, and some incredible ironsights make this weapon a strong early pickup. It doesn’t need attachments to be a strong weapon, but Disruptor rounds make this a devastating and very ammo-efficient secondary.

If you’re a new player and you’re looking for an easy-to-use SMG, it’s worth picking up to learn the game on. And, if you’re a seasoned veteran, it’s still a reliable and effective secondary.

B Tier

30-30 Repeater — Heavy Marksman Rifle

What the 30-30 does well, it does really well. Its range, damage, and accuracy are all top-class, and, unless you’re face-to-face with an enemy, it’s usually a great pick. If you can pair the Repeater with a shotgun, or something small and in a different ammo type like the R-99 or Volt SMG, you’ll be ready for almost any firefight.

However, Season 20 nerfs hit this weapon hard. The integrated Dual Shell hop-up has been removed, magazine size for the extended mags has been reduced across the board, Skullpiercer’s headshot multiplier was nerfed, and the gun’s base damage was slightly lowered.

It’s still worth picking up, but the 30-30 is now an outright worse choice than something like the Scout in most scenarios.

Prowler Burst PDW — Heavy SMG

The Prowler has been put back on the ground in Season 20, and its had its full auto fire mode completely removed as well. While it’ll be much easier to get your hands on the Prowler now, it’s missing a lot of what made it so strong in Season 19.

Though the Prowler still shreds enemies if you can land a solid grouping of shots on a target, this weapon really suffers at longer ranges due to its high recoil and strange burst pattern. It isn’t impossible to control, but much more difficult than its contemporaries.

While the Prowler is useful in the right hands, there are other options that are just better.

Hemlok — Heavy Assault Rifle

The Hemlok has long been passed over by many players for its full-auto cousins like the R-301 and the Flatline. And, now that it’s out of the care package, it’s back to being a somewhat mediocre firearm.

The burst rifle boasts two modes, three-shot and single. Both can be fantastic, with the long-ranged single-shot option helping you conserve ammo as you poke away at your rivals, and the burst giving you the firepower you need up close. However, the hipfire and damage were both nerfed in Season 20, making this weapon that much harder to justify.

While the Hemlok is still useful in the right hands, it’s still not worth picking up over standard assault rifles.

Havoc — Energy Assault Rifle

The Havoc has had one hell of a comeback story. It’s gone from being busted in Apex’s early days to being near-unusuable after a hefty set of nerfs. Now, after a variety of buffs and nerfs, it’s a relatively balanced weapon that does really well early on, and it has a lot of potential with a bit of luck.

Holding onto this weapon for the late game is a bit of a dice roll, and its effectiveness later on really depends on whether or not you can get your hands on a Turbocharger. However, if you manage to find the pivotal hop-up alongside this weapon, the Havoc is one of the better rifles in the game.

S-tier with a Turbocharger, and C-tier without.

Charge Rifle — Sniper Rifle

When the Charge Rifle landed in World’s Edge in Season 3, there was nothing better. Its long energy beams could carve teams up with ease, and if you didn’t find cover quickly you could be melted before you were able to return a shot.

However, Season 18 brought a full rework to the weapon, giving it some additional attachment slots and discarding its old-school laser targeting for one charged projectile. Yes, projectile.

While this projectile wholly lacks bullet drop, it is still an (albeit very fast) bullet rather than the hitscan laser. This weapon could have been argued for S or A tier before its rework, but the new Charge Rifle is in B-tier, hanging on for dear life as a gun only slightly better than the Sentinel.

Longbow DMR — Sniper Rifle

The Longbow is an incredibly powerful and consistent Marksman rifle, one that’s worth picking up now more than ever. Barrel stabilizers are easy to find, Sniper ammo is more plentiful than ever, and Skullpiercer rewards players that take the time to go for headshots.

Even without a scope, the iron sights provide a clear view. And, with 55 damage a shot, it will easily put down most targets with a few solid hits. Additionally, the Skullpiercer hop-up will give this Marksman rifle a real edge. The ability to 2-shot headshot an enemy gives the Longbow an incredibly low TTK for those who are able to consistently land hits.

That said, an AR or SMG will usually outtrade this weapon even at mid-range, and it’s not as good at long ranges as the other Snipers.

L-Star — Energy LMG

The LMG category isn’t in the best spot right now. While the Rampage is still an incredibly strong choice, the Spitfire and Devotion aren’t stellar weapons. The L-Star has long been stuck in low tiers and, while it had a brief stint as one of the game’s best weapons when it was in the care package, it’s not nearly as good now.

This gun being in the care package solved the problem of having to hoard ammo and the gun not coming stock with ammo in a clip, but now that problem has once again reared its ugly head. The L-Star is a big commitment if you want to take full advantage of its ability to send a barrage of fire down range.

That said, the L-Star’s projectiles are so big that they’re kind of hard to miss unless you’re firing at longer ranges. It’s a weapon with a lot of upsides and downsides.

C Tier

Devotion — Energy LMG

While the Devotion has some redeeming qualities, it really needs attachments to be remotely useful.

This energy LMG is probably the deadliest weapon in the game if you can get it firing on all cylinders. It boasts a monstrous 255 damage per second, but only if you can keep its recoil under control.

Barrel stabilitizers help here somewhat, and this weapon can be incredibly strong if you can find a Turbocharger. Unfortunately, the Turbocharger is a rare find, and the weapon’s lack of functionality without it makes it a difficult sell.

Triple Take — Energy Marksman Rifle

The Triple Take is a weapon with a lot of potential. It can do a lot of damage, it can be easier to use in close quarters than other DMRs, and it can be very powerful in the right hands.

However, the Triple Take rarely lives up to its potential. With the G7, 30-30, and Longbow all filling its role with more ammo efficiency and versatility, this gun feels like it’s been left in the dust. Kinetic Feeder was removed in Season 15, but it’s not like the hop-up helped this weapon’s power level much, anyways. Sliding and accurate, long-range fire don’t mix very well.

The Triple Take is fine. It’s hard to get excited about coming across this weapon on the ground.

RE-45 — Light Machine Pistol

The RE-45 certainly has its uses. This weapon has never been the best choice in Apex Legends. Even when it was in the care package, some players would choose to leave it in the package. Now that it’s out, the RE-45 doesn’t have many use cases.

While it has high DPS, it’s also got a small base mag size at 16 and is worse than a standard SMG in almost every way. There’s no situation where the RE-45 is outright better than any other weapon. It’s not horrible, but you won’t see anyone getting excited about picking up the RE-45.

Sentinel — Sniper Rifle

With how strong Marksman Rifles are, there’s no point in picking up the Sentinel unless you absolutely have to or really want to. The frequency in which you’ll be fighting at a range that this weapon excels is fairly low.

It’s 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 it doesn’t have the same hitscan power as the Charge Rifle. If it wasn’t for the Sentinel coming with Deadeye’s Tempo built-in, this Sniper Rifle would be on the edge of D-tier.

Bolt action snipers are incredibly satisfying and fun to use, which is why it hurts to put the Sentinel so low. Every other option in the Marksman and Sniper categories is just flat-out better. The Sentinel is more of a fun weapon than a good one, but can still be useful in the hands of a deadeye sniper.

D Tier

Mozambique — Shotgun

The Mozambique isn’t a great gun. While it has more range than other weapons in its class, the Mozambique’s low damage combined with the removal of Hammerpoint rounds in Season 15 has placed it right back in D-tier.

The Mozam’s best and worst traits are bundled into one with its long range. Three 15-damage pellets in a tight spread give this Shotgun deceptively long range, but also make it surprisingly unwieldy at close range. Hipfiring with this thing is completely unreliable, but ADSing also feels off thanks to its slow projectile speed.

The Mozambique is a bit bizarre and difficult to use. It can work as a last result, but you might be better off throwing hands than picking up this Shotgun.

P2020 — Light Pistol

The P2020 was already a D-tier weapon when Hammerpoint rounds were in the game, and it’s an even more sorry state now that they’re gone.

Even with Hammerpoint rounds and a laser sight, it’s really hard to justify holding on to this pistol. The highest praise that can be levied toward the P2020 is that it does, in fact, function. It’s, for sure, better than throwing bullets at your enemies. But not by much.

Joking aside, even with the P2020 being a subpar weapon, it can still dish enough damage to take down targets if you have a fast trigger finger. It’s certainly usable, but that’s the highest praise this weapon deserves.

Remember, this tier list is subjective and subject to change depending on future updates with weapon buffs and nerfs.