Counter-Strike 2 is one of the very few games where a wrong weapon selection can cost your team a whole round that can directly affect the final score. While every gun has its own benefits in certain situations, there is a reason why professionals avoid certain guns most of the time.
As it has been a while since CS2 took over CSGO, it’s time to take a look at the weapons the game has to offer particularly the guns. So, whether you are a beginner or a skilled Counter-Strike player, this guide will explain why and which guns you should use to annihilate your enemies.
Are there New Guns or Gun Changes in CS2?
Before delving into the list of best CS2 guns, let’s look at the gun roster and the changes we have in CS2. While Counter-Strike 2 has greatly evolved from CSGO, it is not entirely a new game. We have some significant changes here and there but the majority of the aspects have been retained.
This is also the case with the guns in CS2. Unlike previously rumored, there are no new guns or weapons in CS2. All the guns, grenades, knives, and accessories are carried over from CSGO.
The animations for the gun reload are mostly the same and so are the gun sprays. So, if you are a CSGO veteran, transitioning to CS2 won’t take much time. However, for newbies, learning about the guns and mastering them will take quite a good amount of time.
CS2 Guns Tier List
| Guns | S Tier | A Tier | B Tier | C Tier |
| Pistol | Desert Eagle | Five SeveN, TEC-9 | USP-S, Glock-18, P250, Dual Berettas | P2000, R8 Revolver, CZ75-Auto |
| SMG | P90 | MP7, UMP 45 | MP9, MAC-10 | MP5-SD, PP-Bizon |
| Machine | Negev | M249 | ||
| Rifles | AK-47, M4A4, M4A1-S | AUG, SG553 | FAMAS, Galil AR | |
| Snipers | AWP | SSG 08, SCAR-20, G3SG1 | ||
| Shotgun | Nova, Sawed-Off | XM1014, MAG-7 |
CS2 gun tier list will vary from person to person but most of them will have overlapping weapons. If you are a newcomer to the game and don’t want to waste hundreds of hours trying to figure out which is the best gun, here is the tier list that shows you the best guns to the worst in CS2.
We have divided all the guns in CS2 into four different tiers. These are:
- S Tier– Simply the Best
- A Tier– Ideal
- B Tier– OK
- C Tier– Meh!
S Tier Guns
| Guns/Stats | Price | Damage | Magazine/ Reserve Ammo | Armor Penetration | Accurate Range(Stand) | One-Hit Kill(Helmet) | Tracers |
| Desert Eagle | $700 | 53 | 7/35 | 93.20% | 24.58m | Yes (Head) | Every Bullet |
| P90 | $2350 | 26 | 50/100 | 69% | 10.40m | No | Every Third |
| AK 47 | $2700 | 36 | 30/90 | 77.50% | 21.74m | Yes (Head) | Every Third |
| M4A4 | $3100 | 33 | 30/90 | 70% | 27.71m | No | Every Third |
| M4A1-S | $2900 | 38 | 20/80 | 70% | 27.71m | No | None |
| AWP | $4750 | 115 | 5/30 | 80% | 69.27m (Scoped) | Yes (Anywhere) | None |
Mostly comprises guns that can perform one-shot kills or are insanely fast in killing enemies. In the Pistol category, Desert Eagle is a popular choice that has a fantastic single headshot kill. The damage is pretty insane and the accuracy is way better than any pistol.
P90 is the newbie weapon of choice for spraying madly at enemies as its spray is controlled and has a very high fire rate. It also has 50 bullets in a single magazine that makes sure your enemy is dead after a full spray.
In the rifles, AK 47 is a deadly weapon that has a one-shot kill capability if the bullet strikes the head whether the enemy has a helmet on or not. M4A4 and M4A1-S are also comparable to AK 47 but don’t have a high armor penetration. They still boast a better accuracy than AK 47 but are also more expensive. M4A1-S has the advantage of a silencer and leaving no trace of bullets, however, it comes with a smaller bullet magazine and reserve ammo.
Lastly, the AWP is the greatest gun in the entire game. It is perhaps the only gun that can kill with a single bullet no matter where the bullet hits and whether the armor is on or not. It is also capable of a one-hit kill even after piercing through a door or a wooden crate.
A Tier Guns
| Guns/Stats | Price | Damage | Magazine/ Reserve Ammo | Armor Penetration | Accurate Range(Stand) | One-Hit Kill(Helmet) | Tracers |
| Five SeveN | $500 | 32 | 20/100 | 91.15% | 13.73m | No | Every Bullet |
| TEC 9 | $500 | 33 | 18/90 | 90.60% | 22.09m | No | Every Bullet |
| MP7 | $1500 | 29 | 30/120 | 62.50% | 14.38m | No | Every Third |
| UMP 45 | $1200 | 35 | 25/100 | 65% | 10.56m | No | Every Third |
| AUG | $3300 | 28 | 30/90 | 90% | 28.22m | Yes | Every Third |
| SG553 | $3000 | 30 | 30/90 | 100% | 23.78m | Yes | Every Third |
| SSG 08 | $1700 | 88 | 10/90 | 85% | 47.18mm (Scoped) | Yes | None |
| SCAR-20 | $5000 | 80 | 20/90 | 82.5% | 66.26m (Scoped) | Yes | None |
| G3SG1 | $5000 | 80 | 20/90 | 82.5% | 66.26m (Scoped) | Yes | None |
Five SeveN and TEC 9 are both excellent pistols for ECO rounds. While Five SeveN is available for the CTs, the TEC 9 is for the T side and has much more accuracy. They have very high armor penetration and can be utilized for stealing your opponent’s guns. On the other hand, MP7 and UMP 45 are cost-effective submachine guns that can do a pretty good job in ECO rounds as well.
AUG and SG553 are kinda equivalent but SG553 being $300 cheaper can allow you to buy a grenade or a smoke. They both deal massive damage even when the enemy is armored and SG553 is the only gun that has 100% armor penetration. It does have a limitation in accuracy compared to AUG but scoping can increase the accuracy.
SCAR-20 and G3SG1 are two similar sniper rifles for CT and T respectively. There isn’t much difference between the two but they are the most versatile rifles for long-range action. Both rifles don’t need any bullet adjustment after each shot and have a huge damage of 80 HP.
Lastly, the SSG-08 is a cheaper alternative to AWP that can do some serious damage in each shot and has more mobility than AWP. Buy it in ECO rounds to score kills faster and steal your enemy rifles.
B Tier Guns
| Guns/Stats | Price | Damage | Magazine/ Reserve Ammo | Armor Penetration | Accurate Range(Stand) | One-Hit Kill(Helmet) | Tracers |
| USP-S | $200 | 35 | 12/24 | 50.50% | 20.59m | No | Every Bullet |
| Glock-18 | $200 | 30 | 20/120 | 47% | 20.05m | No | Every Bullet |
| P250 | $300 | 38 | 13/26 | 64% | 13.73m | No | Every Bullet |
| Dual Berettas | $300 | 38 | 30/120 | 57.50% | 16.93m | No | None |
| MP9 | $1250 | 26 | 30/120 | 60% | 15.8m | No | Every Third |
| MAC-10 | $1050 | 29 | 30/100 | 57.50% | 10.96m | No | Every Third |
| Negev | $1700 | 35 | 150/300 | 71% | 12.52m | No | Every Bullet |
| FAMAS | $2050 | 30 | 25/90 | 70% | 14.58m | No | Every Bullet |
| Galil AR | $1800 | 30 | 35/90 | 77.50% | 16.26m | No | Every Bullet |
| Nova | $1050 | 26 | 8/32 | 50% | 3.24m | No | Every Bullet |
| Sawed-Off | $1100 | 32 | 7/32 | 75% | 2.21m | No | Every Bullet |
USP-S and Glock-18 are the default pistols you get at the start of the first round or in the next round after you die. USP-S is CT specific pistol that has great accuracy and little to no shooting sound. The only problem: its magazine gets empty pretty fast. However, Glock-18 is superior in both magazine size/reserve ammo as well as dual firing modes: Single and Burst.
P250 for the CT is another great ECO option if you want to steal your enemy’s gun but there isn’t much to it. Dual Berettas are comparatively better due to rapid firing and a bigger ammo magazine but if your magazine gets empty, you will be dead before your reloading ends.
In the submachine guns, MP9 and MAC-10 are some fine weapons for ECO rounds. Their firing rate is pretty high but the damage isn’t as impressive. On the other hand, if you want to deal with massive damages, then go with Nova or Sawed-Off shotguns that are dirt cheap and can kill in a single shot if the enemy is close.
In the Rifle category, FAMAS and Galil AR are some underrated rifles that are cheaper than S-Tier rifles but have the ability to deal good damage to the body armor. FAMAS has a burst mode that is more effective than spraying an entire magazine on your opponent but Galil AR has more bullet capacity in each magazine. Lastly, to pour out your frustration, buy Negev and spray all the ammo to stop the T-side rush.
C Tier Guns
| Guns/Stats | Price | Damage | Magazine/ Reserve Ammo | Armor Penetration | Accurate Range(Stand) | One-Hit Kill(Helmet) | Tracers |
| P2000 | $200 | 35 | 13/52 | 50.50% | 22.09m | No | Every Bullet |
| R8 Revolver | $600 | 86 | 8/8 | 93.20% | 24.58m | Yes | Every Bullet |
| CZ75-Auto | $500 | 31 | 12/12 | 77.65% | 11.35m | No | Every Bullet |
| MP5-SD | $1500 | 27 | 30/120 | 62.50% | 14.38m | No | None |
| PP-Bizon | $1400 | 27 | 64/120 | 63% | 10.16m | No | Every Third |
| M249 | $5200 | 32 | 100/200 | 80% | 15.71m | Yes | Every Third |
| XM1014 | $2000 | 20 | 7/32 | 80% | 3.39m | No | Every Bullet |
| MAG-7 | $1300 | 30 | 5/32 | 75% | 3.24m | No | Every Bullet |
P2000 is CTs alternative to USP-S and is the weakest pistol of all. It has lower accuracy both standing and crouching but has more ammo than USP-S. However, the worst pistol of all is the R8 Revolver, not necessarily because it doesn’t feature competitive stats but because of its price and how it works. Compared to Desert Eagle, it’s just $100 cheaper but deals the same damage. However, it only has a total of 16 bullets and it takes too much time to shoot and the reload time is even higher.
On the T-side, we have CZ75-Auto which is another horrible pistol for $500 with only 24 bullets in total and the worst accuracy. In the submachine category, the MP5-SD and PP-Bizon are poor choices compared to the rest of the submachine guns and it’s better to avoid them.
M249 from LMGs is another waste of money that you should only buy if you are sure your team will lose. Essentially, it’s the more expensive Negev for those who want to spend all the money left.
In the shotguns, MAG-7 is something that we would not recommend over Nova or Sawed-off due to the higher price. As for the XM1014, it’s the worst of all the shotguns with double the price and poor accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best gun to use in CS2?
AWP is currently the most powerful weapon in CS2 and can kill instantly with a single shot no matter where the bullet hits and whether the enemy is armored or not.
What are the best SMGs in CS2?
P90 is the most effective SMG in the game with rapid-fire and a big ammo magazine. UMP-45 is another cheaper alternative and works great in ECO rounds.
Why is the AK-47 so good in CS2?
AK-47 is the most lethal rifle in CS2 and can kill instantly with one bullet to the head irrespective of whether the enemy has a helmet or not. It is also the cheapest S-tier rifle in the game
What is the weakest weapon in CS2?
It’s debatable but we think P2000 is the weakest gun in CS2.
