The best guns in WARDOGS Season 2, in our view, are the FAL if you can afford it, the new TCX-SPR as the best all-round assault rifle, the AK74 as the best value gun in the game, the PKM for Support, and the new M14 for Recon players who want a marksman rifle. Those picks are ours, built on BULKHEAD’s official Season 02 patch notes, which cut high-caliber damage hard, moved most unlocks and changed nearly every vendor price on October 15, 2026.
Because WARDOGS makes you buy your loadout every life and lose it when you die, the “best” gun is always a balance of power and price. Below we cover what Season 2 changed, our pick in every class with the numbers behind it, and the guns we would skip right now.
What Season 2 Changed About Guns
BULKHEAD’s Season 02 patch notes explain the biggest shift directly: high-caliber rounds “were doing close to sniper damage at a much faster fire rate” in assault rifles, DMRs and LMGs, which “made these weapons far stronger than the others in their archetype.” The fix was a base damage cut for every weapon that fires these rounds:
| Caliber | Base damage change |
|---|---|
| .308 Winchester | -25% |
| 7.62x54mmR | -20% |
| 7.62x39mm | -19% |
| .50 Cal | -16% |
Other changes that matter for gun choice:
- Assault rifles do slightly less body damage, and torso damage is now more even, so body shots are more predictable.
- LMG body damage now matches assault rifles. BULKHEAD says LMGs “win fights through sustained fire and magazine size, not by out-damaging assault rifles on every shot.”
- DMRs got a new recoil pass and weaker headshot and upper-body multipliers, so they sit between assault rifles and snipers.
- Sniper rifles got higher hit-location damage to make up for the caliber cuts, and stay the big single-shot class.
- Armor is weaker. Level 3 armor and helmets now block 50% of damage (down from 55%), and Level 4 blocks 60% (down from 65%).
Player tier lists that circulated before Season 2 put the FAL and PKM in their top tier. The new notes are BULKHEAD’s answer to that, but they do not make high-caliber guns bad: in its words, the update “brings them closer to the other weapons in their archetype.”
Best Assault Rifle: FAL (Best Value: AK74)
Our pick: the FAL. BULKHEAD says the FAL “still has the highest damage-per-shot within the assault rifle category” after the .308 cut, now sitting “closer to the TCX-SPR and M4.” Its vendor price falls from $6,500 to $6,000 per life, though unlocking it on the Assault track now costs $250,000 (up from $200,000), so it is a mid-season goal, not a day-one pick.
Best all-rounder: the TCX-SPR. The new 7.62x39mm rifle unlocks at Assault level 20 for $100,000 with its 28-round magazine, and costs $3,200 per life, just over half the FAL’s price. It also gets three exclusive muzzle unlocks later in the track (a muzzle brake at 32, another at 37 and a suppressor at 40).
Best value: the AK74. It is now unlocked by default and its price is halved, from $1,600 to $800. For a gun you will lose every time you die, nothing else in the assault class costs less to replace. The T-21 moved the other way: it now unlocks at Assault level 3 and its price doubled to $1,200, though it comes with a free STANAG 30-round magazine.
The M4 still sits near the top on damage per BULKHEAD, but it moved from Assault level 20 to 28 and its unlock rose to $150,000, so most players will reach the TCX-SPR first.
Best SMG: PP-19 Bizon
Our pick for most players: the PP-19 Bizon. The new SMG is unlocked by default on the Medic track with its 53-round magazine, and costs $1,000 per life, with each spare magazine at $200. For medics who spend their lives running to downed teammates, a cheap gun with a big magazine is the right tool.
The MP5 is the early upgrade: it now unlocks at Medic level 4 (was 15) for $25,000 (was $75,000), and its 30-round magazine moves to level 8. Its recoil was made more horizontal because, in BULKHEAD’s words, it “was too easy to use,” and its price rose to $1,800.
Skip the Super-45 for now. It gets more damage fall-off beyond 50 meters, pushing it “firmly into a close-quarters role,” while its price more than doubles from $2,600 to $5,600 and its unlock rises to $200,000.
Best LMG: PKM
Our pick: the PKM. It now unlocks at Support level 15 instead of 30, its unlock drops from $150,000 to $100,000, and its vendor price falls from $4,500 to $4,100. Since LMGs no longer out-damage assault rifles per shot, the cheaper, earlier gun with the big magazine is the smart buy.
The M249 went the other way, moving from level 15 to 20 with a $150,000 unlock. The new Evo-3 Ultra is the end-of-track LMG at Support level 30 ($200,000 unlock, $7,250 per life), but it fires .308 Winchester, the caliber that lost the most damage this season. We would only run it once cash stops mattering.
Best Marksman Rifle and Sniper
Marksman rifle: the M14. Recon players get it at level 25 for $100,000 with a 10-round magazine, with 20- and 30-round magazines at levels 31 and 36, a bipod at 29 and its own muzzle devices later. It costs $7,400 per life. It fires .308, so it shares the 25% cut, but BULKHEAD’s stated goal for DMRs is a gun “more punishing than an assault rifle, but not a faster-firing sniper rifle.”
Cheap sniper: the Scout Rifle. Season 2 makes its headshots one-shot kills on targets with no helmet, while a Level 1 helmet takes two. At $1,200 per life, it is a low-risk way to play Recon.
Big sniper: the AMR 50. Snipers kept their big single-shot role through higher hit-location damage, but the AMR’s price jumped from $8,800 to $14,800 per life, so treat it as a luxury. The Mosin gets a new PU 91/30 3.5x scope at Recon level 10, but loses access to other optics.
Guns and Gear We Would Skip Right Now
- MGL-40 grenade launcher: muzzle velocity cut 25%, a stronger fall-off on its 40mm outer radius, more sway, slower aiming, and a price rise to $7,500. Our Season 2 patch notes story has the full list.
- Level 4 armor on a budget: it now blocks less (60%), the Level 4 helmet muffles your audio and fogs while you sprint, and the set costs $9,500 per life. Level 3 armor and helmet cost $4,500 together and block 50%.
- Compound Bow: it is better this season (flatter arrows, better against low-tier armor), but its unlock doubled to $150,000 and its price rose to $1,350, so it is a fun pick rather than a meta one.
Tips for Building a Loadout
- Price the whole life, not just the gun. Armor, helmet, attachments and ammo all go down with you. Our money guide covers the fastest ways to fund an expensive kit.
- Level the right track. Each gun unlocks on one progression track (Assault, Medic, Recon, Support or the general WARDOG track), and Season 2 roughly halved the XP to reach level 20. Our progression guide explains how each track levels.
- On a controller, Season 2 adds an aim assist strength slider in Settings, Controller, Advanced. See our controller guide.
Every other guide we have for the game is on our WARDOGS hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best gun in WARDOGS? In our view, the FAL is the strongest assault rifle per shot (BULKHEAD confirms it still leads its class in damage per shot), while the AK74 is the best value at $800. The TCX-SPR is the best balance of the two.
Was the FAL nerfed in WARDOGS Season 2? Yes. Every .308 Winchester weapon lost 25% base damage, and its unlock rose to $250,000. BULKHEAD says it still has the highest damage per shot among assault rifles.
What is the cheapest good gun in WARDOGS? The AK74. It is unlocked by default and costs $800 per life after Season 2 halved its price.
When do you unlock the PKM in WARDOGS? At Support level 15 from Season 2, down from level 30, for $100,000.
What are the new guns in WARDOGS Season 2? The TCX-SPR assault rifle (7.62x39mm), the PP-19 Bizon SMG (9x19mm), the Evo-3 Ultra LMG (.308 Win) and the M14 marksman rifle (.308 Win), plus a Molotov.
Do LMGs still do more damage than assault rifles? Not per body shot. Season 2 made LMG body damage match assault rifles, so LMGs now win through sustained fire and magazine size.