The Division 2 – The Best Weapons in PvE and PvP

In The Division 2, the best weapons in PvE and PvP are known. These weapons deal the most damage during the launch weeks. All information at a glance.

Which weapons are the best? This question is impressively answered by Division expert MarcoStyle. For each weapon category, he created clear graphs that reveal the best weapons.

In the video, you can see the results in moving images; at the very end of the article, you will find an overview of the key insights:

The best assault rifles

You can see it in the graphs: To explain in advance – the graphs show with lines how much damage the respective weapons deal over time.

• The x-axis (from left to right) represents time in seconds
• The y-axis (from bottom to top) is for damage (body shots, world tier 4, normalized)

That means: If the line rises, it indicates the damage the weapon deals with one magazine. The horizontal sections of the line represent the time the weapon takes to reload.

The following graphs do not take into account stability, precision, talents, or mods, but rather the pure damage potential of the weapon. Therefore, the raw numbers must also be interpreted.

You can see it in the graph: There are 11 different types of assault rifles in The Division 2. Since their damage lines run closely together, this shows that the assault rifles are fairly balanced. Nevertheless, one assault rifle stands out particularly.

Best assault rifle for PvE: The AK-M and the P416 excel slightly in sustain damage. Since the P416 has better burst damage, it is the assault rifle of choice.

Best assault rifle for PvP: The FAMAS has the best burst damage of all assault rifles. However, it is not recommended since you cannot attach a magazine mod to it, making other assault rifles more valuable in practice. Therefore, also take the P416 here, as it has similar burst damage to the FAMAS and also excels in sustain damage.

The best submachine guns

You can see it in the graph: There are a whopping 13 different types of SMGs, which makes this graph quite confusing.

Best submachine gun for PvE: Clearly take the T821 here. Its sustain damage surpasses all other SMGs (visible at the top right of the graph, where the damage remains highest over time). This is partly due to the short reload time of only 1.6 seconds – only the Vector can keep up with it.

Best submachine gun for PvP: The highest burst damage (visible from the steepest line increase until reloading) is from the SMG-9. Nevertheless, you should also take the T821 in PvP since its burst damage is quite similar and its sustain damage is significantly better.

The best rifles

You can see it in the graph: There are huge differences between the 10 different rifle types. This is because some can be fired significantly faster than others but deal less damage.

Best rifle for PvE: MK17

Best rifle for PvP: MK17 – this rifle is the clear winner. It deals the most burst damage and sustain damage. However, the handling of the MK17 is rather subpar, so you might want to test the SIG as a good alternative.

The best light machine guns

You can see it in the graph: With only 5 different LMG types, this graph is quite straightforward – and reveals two weapons that stand out.

Best LMG for PvE: The M60 and M249 have both the best burst damage and sustain damage. The M60 is the top LMG.

Best LMG for PvP: Even in PvP, the M60 takes first place, and the M249 takes second place.

However, at greater distances, the RPK and L86 are better due to a tighter sight, and the MG5 due to a high headshot bonus and a bug that increases damage at long distances.

The best shotguns

You can see it in the graph: Among the 7 types of shotguns, the exotic lullaby stands out somewhat. Among the “normal” shotgun variants, these are the best:

Best shotgun for PvE: The SPAS-12 has strong sustain damage. The reload time is a long 5.2 seconds, but you can still deal a lot of damage over a longer period.

Best shotgun for PvP: The double-barrel shotgun has the highest burst damage by far.

The best sniper rifles

You can see it in the graph: The graph for sniper rifles should be viewed with caution. It shows how much damage the weapons deal at the highest possible fire rate. However, the precision is far too low to actually hit anything. So forget the graph and use these snipers:

Best sniper for PvE: On paper, the MK20 is the best sniper for sustain damage, but it cannot consistently fire quick shots accurately. The SVD is more recommendable – with it, you can achieve headshots more frequently.

Best sniper for PvP: Take the Model 700, as this weapon has the highest damage per bullet. Here you can see the best PvP build that uses the Model 700.

The best pistols

You can see it in the graph: If you are looking for the best weapons in The Division 2, you should not look at the pistols. Nevertheless, here are those pistols with the highest burst and sustain damage at a glance:

Pistol with the highest sustain damage: PX4

Pistol with the highest burst damage: M1911

The best weapons for PvE and PvP at a glance

Best weapons for PvE / Sustain Damage:

• Assault Rifle: P416
• Submachine Gun: T821
• Rifle: MK17
• LMG: M60
• Shotgun: SPAS-12
• Sniper: SVD

Best weapons for PvP / Burst Damage:

• Assault Rifle: P416
• Submachine Gun: SMG-9
• Rifle: MK17
• LMG: M60
• Shotgun: Double Barrel Shotgun
• Sniper: Model 700

Which weapon is the best overall? MarcoStyle does not provide an answer to this. It depends on how you play, which talents you need for your build, which stats you upgrade, and at what distances you operate.

However, if you want to build around certain weapon categories, you now know which weapons will give you a good time.

Note: The damage graphs for The Division 1 were created by the YouTuber WOBO, who no longer has time for it for personal reasons. At the end of 2017, MarcoStyle took over this job to analyze the data and create the graphs in the “WOBO style”.

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