Best Helldivers 2 weapons and how to unlock

What are the best Helldivers 2 weapons? Helldivers 2 has hit the ground running and quickly become everyone’s favorite squad-based shooter. Whether it’s your first time in a Hellpod or you’re a veteran of Malevelon Creek, any time spent in this game is both chaotic and memorable.

Even after a week of nonstop war, Helldivers 2 shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon and has undoubtedly left its mark on the multiplayer game sphere. But as you push further into enemy territory in the name of managed democracy and come across greater foes, we have you covered with our curated list of weapons we think will give you the edge, no matter what front you’re fighting on.

Best Helldivers 2 weapons

You start the game with two weapons. There are 15 unlockable weapons via the Warbonds system and 12 hand-held weapons available via Stratagems. We have painstakingly tested all of these weapons on both the Terminid and Automaton fronts, across a range of difficulties (from Trivial to Helldive). We’ve separated our selection based on the enemy you are facing, as each threat requires a unique counter.

Best weapons against Termanids

Termanids are the bug-brained hive-minded enemies located to the galactic east of Super Earth. In-game, Termanids act as the “mostly” unarmored melee-focused enemy that can overwhelm you from all directions if you don’t keep on the move. Whether it’s a Bile Spewer or Charger, these bugs are going to get up close and personal.

Here are the best weapons against Terminids:

• SG-225 Breaker
• AR23-Liberator
• AR-23E Liberator Explosive
• FL-21 Grenade Launcher
• RS-422 Railgun

SG-225 Breaker

The Breaker has quickly become a Helldiver favorite over the last week – and for good reason. Being the first fully automatic shotgun available via the Warbonds shop, its astounding rate of fire (comparable to the Diligence) and high damage-per-second (DPS) on both unarmored and lightly armored enemies makes this the definitive Terminid slaying weapon. Some weapons may be more versatile or safer to use, but nothing comes close to the fun you can have with one of these.

Best weapons against Automatons

Automatons are the heartless metallic scourge located to the galactic west of Super Earth. In-game, Automatons are a ranged-focused faction that heavily utilizes armor, but make no mistake, they have a bot for every situation. Bots have a few unarmored menaces, but when a Hulk or Tank appears, you better hope you have the right weapon to hand.

Here are the best weapons against Automatons:

• AR-23P Liberator Penetrator
• R-63 Diligence
• JAR-5 Dominator
• AC-8 Autocannon
• APW-1 Anti-Materiel Rifle

AR-23P Liberator Penetrator

The Liberator Penetrator is a dark horse as most players don’t realize that it’s one of only two weapons in Helldivers 2 with Medium Armour Penetrating. Located on page six of the “Helldivers Mobilises” Warbonds store, it’s not an early-game pick for most, but when you eventually earn the medals required, not much will come close to the variety of enemies this weapon can take on. Sporting the same rate of fire as the standard Liberator with a reduced magazine capacity means that players will need to keep an eye on their ammo count if they don’t want to be caught off guard.

All Helldivers 2 weapons

As you go through the Warbonds and unlock each weapon, you will find your favorite for each situation and mission. Some may prefer a long-range approach while others will dispense democracy as fast as possible with SMGs and machine guns.

Now that you know what arsenal is available to you as you play through Helldivers 2, you might want to dive nose-deep into the fray alongside your squad, but some are unable to get into a game Keep an eye on our Helldivers 2 server status page, which is updated daily. Whether you get in-game or not, make sure your graphics card isn’t letting you down, and double-check the Helldivers 2 system requirements before installing.