Rivals Tier List: Best Weapons
TL;DR
The free Assault Rifle is the best weapon in Rivals right now, with Sniper, Permafrost and Shotgun joining it in S tier.
I took out the Grenade Launcher buff because the Update 24 section already covers it in full. The updated file still passes the ASCII check.
Rivals got its Halloween update on October 17, and every balance change in Update 24 was a buff. The Grenade Launcher, Revolver, Shorty, Spear and Warpstone all got stronger, and the Wildcat is still riding its Update 23 buff. That shifts a few spots on the list, so older tier lists are already out of date
Also Read: Rivals Guides on BloxBoom
Rivals Primary Weapons Tier List
| Tier | Primary Weapons |
| S | Assault Rifle, Sniper, Permafrost, Shotgun |
| A | Wildcat, Crossbow, Burst Rifle, Paintball Gun, Gunblade, Grenade Launcher |
| B | Distortion, Energy Rifle, Flamethrower, RPG |
| C | Minigun, Bow |
The Assault Rifle sits at the top because it has no bad matchup. It deals 12 damage per bullet with a 20-round magazine, and it's free from the start. If you're new, main this gun before you spend a single Key.
The Sniper costs 75 Keys and has the highest skill ceiling in the game, since a headshot crits for 150 damage and ends the duel. The catch is that it falls apart on tight maps and in 5v5, where hard-scoping gets you rushed. Permafrost is a Contraband burst SMG that slows and freezes on hit for up to 3 seconds, which turns most duels into one-sided trades. The Shotgun only costs 20 Keys and hits for 80 damage at point-blank, but if you miss your one shot, you're dead.
The Wildcat is the newest primary at 35 Keys. Update 23 pushed its damage from 9 to 10 and its magazine from 24 to 30, so it's now a real mid-range option. It's the only gun with realistic recoil, so you have to pull down while you shoot.
Also Read: Rivals Codes
Best Secondary, Melee and Utility Weapons in Rivals
Revolver, Uzi and Exogun are S tier. The Revolver costs 25 Keys and hits for 30 damage, and Update 24 tightened its Quick Shot spread from 10 to 7 degrees, so fanning it actually lands now. The Uzi costs 20 Keys and is the best panic button up close, especially if you run Sniper. Energy Pistols, Shorty and Warper are A tier, while the Handgun, Daggers and Flare Gun sit in B and C.
Melee Weapons
Katana and Scythe are S tier. The Katana deals 45 damage and deflects hits can bullets, while the Scythe has a dash that closes distance fast. The Knife is A tier because a backstab is an instant kill, and the Spear jumped to A tier after Update 24 cut its equip time from 1.25s to 0.6s and raised its throw damage to 30. Fists are free and give you a double jump, which makes them a solid B tier pick for Sniper players.
Utility
Grenade, Freeze Ray and Medkit are the strongest utilities. The Freeze Ray now freezes for 4 seconds and slows for 2.5 seconds, and every throwable equips in 0.5s since Update 22. Jump Pad and Smoke Grenade are mobility and support tools, not fight winners.
What Changed in Rivals Update 24?
Update 24 only buffed weapons. The Grenade Launcher got the biggest boost, with damage going from 40 to 45, crit damage from 80 to 90 and reload time from 3.2s to 2.5s. That's enough to move it from a casual pick into A tier. The Shorty went from 7.5 to 8 damage per pellet across its 10 pellets, and the Warpstone hitbox shrank from 4 to 0.25 studs so you can warp through tighter gaps.
The thing most players miss is that the Halloween towers don't use your loadout. In Gargoyle Tower and Zombie Tower, you pick weapons from enemy drops, so your tier list there is different. Explosives like the Grenade Launcher and RPG are the best picks because they hit whole groups at once. The event runs until November 7.
Conclusion
If you're grinding Keys, buy a gun you can control before you touch any launcher or meme weapon. Start with the Assault Rifle, add the Sniper for open maps and the Shotgun for close ones, and test any weapon in casual before you take it into ranked.
