Helldivers 2 Best Primary Weapons: 6 Picks for 7.0.2

Short answer: the newest build as of 5 September 2026 is 7.0.2, but primary weapon balance last changed in 7.0.0, released 12 August 2026. Both 7.0.1 (17 August) and 7.0.2 (25 August) were crash fixes with no weapon tuning at all. So the tier list that applies right now is still the 7.0.0 one — two version bumps have not invalidated your loadout.

And the 7.0.0 weapon change was not damage. It was short-magazine ammo. Arrowhead stated the reason outright: short magazines offered too few benefits compared to drum magazines. What changed is which attachment is worth equipping, not which gun is worth carrying.

Written on 5 September 2026 against patch 7.0.2. Numbers come from Arrowhead's official patch notes. The tier ordering itself is our editorial judgement, not an official recommendation, and it shifts with difficulty, mission type, weapon customisation and squad composition.

What actually changed since 7.0.0

The short-magazine ammo numbers

What went up in 7.0.0 is the ammo you carry when the short magazine attachment is equipped. Drum magazine builds and stock configurations were not touched. Miss that and the extra ammo never shows up.

The SMG/FLAM-34 Stoker also had its reload cut from 2.8 to 2.3 seconds. On sidearms, the P-113 Verdict went from 8 to 10 spare and 4 to 6 starting, the M6C/SOCOM Pistol from 8 to 10 spare and 5 to 6 starting, and the P-19 Redeemer from 4 to 6 spare. The R-2124 Constitution gained a full stripper clip reload when the magazine is empty.

The Crusher punishes any gap in your fire

Both new Illuminate enemies in 7.0.0 have direct loadout consequences, and the official wording explains why.

• The Crusher is described as capable of regenerating while taking heavy damage, needing to be worn down quickly and consistently without a moment of pause. It is not simply armoured. By the official wording, it regenerates even while it is taking heavy damage, so this is not "keep firing and it cannot heal" — it is a demand that you out-damage the regeneration and finish the job quickly.
• The Wretch is relentless and nimble, dodging and leaping as it closes, and calls for quick target acquisition and focused aim.

These two pull in opposite directions — uninterrupted damage for the Crusher, reaction speed for the Wretch. If you are taking one primary into an Illuminate mission, plan on covering the other half with a support weapon or stratagem.

Beyond that, the official notes stop. "Do not pause" is Arrowhead's wording, but which weapon's damage actually outpaces the regeneration is not published anywhere. The official text reads as though the Crusher regenerates even while taking heavy damage, so this article will not claim any particular weapon shuts that regeneration down. All that can honestly be said is that a loadout which rarely stops firing fits the requirement better.

Tier list at 7.0.2 (our judgement)

Everything below this line is editorial, not official. The criteria are role delivery, faction matchup, ammo economy and ease of handling. This is a shortlist of six weapons worth taking right now, not a ranking of the full primary roster. A weapon missing from it is not thereby bad.

No weapon is the pick for every mission. If your squad handles heavies with support weapons and stratagems, bring crowd clear; if a teammate already covers light armour, bring something that opens medium armour or breaks objectives.

Using the S tier

The R-36 Eruptor clears medium armour and packed groups with one explosion and doubles as an objective breaker for nests and fabricators. Its weaknesses are self-damage up close and a slow rate of fire — and that slow cadence is exactly what the regenerating Crusher exploits. It rates higher the more your kit covers close quarters and sustained damage elsewhere.

The SG-225IE Breaker Incendiary is at its best holding ground against light-armour Terminid swarms. The 7.0.0 short-magazine buff helps it too. Watch for friendly fire and its lack of a finisher against heavy armour.

The PLAS-1 Scorcher fires explosive plasma that answers Automaton medium armour and weak points, making it the flexible pick. The blast catches you and your squad at close range, so carry a sidearm for anything that closes.

Using the A tier

The LAS-16 Sickle spends no ammo at all if you manage heat, so it clears light armour indefinitely on long missions. It never stops to reload, which is a structural advantage — but mismanage the heat and it stops anyway, to cool. Budget for cooldowns in hot biomes and during sustained fire.

The AR-23A Liberator Carbine is among the biggest winners of the 7.0.0 short-magazine change, going from 12 to 16 spare and 7 to 9 starting magazines. It swings onto Wretches and Hunters that rush you, which makes it a comfortable close-range safety net. At range, mind the recoil and the ammo burn.

The R-63CS Diligence Counter Sniper is for taking Automaton weak points from a distance. It struggles when numbers pile on, so pair it with a teammate or stratagem that handles crowds.

Picks by faction

Non-weapon changes in 7.0.0 that affect loadouts

• Assisted reload was reworked. It now works as long as either the wielder or the reloader has the correct backpack, where previously a designated reloader had to carry it. Arrowhead cited the old version needing too much coordination to ever get used.
• SEAF support arrived as a planet modifier, putting friendly NPC troops with stim pistols and heavy machine guns into your missions.
• Heavy landing recovery is about 40% shorter, and stim inputs are now buffered briefly instead of being dropped.
• The level cap moved from 150 to 300 across 15 new ranks, and the emote wheel went from 4 slots to 8.

Do not buy a warbond just because it is new

7.0.0 shipped the Castellan's Creed Legendary Warbond, the Warhammer 40,000 crossover, on 12 August. Newest does not mean strongest for every mission. Before you spend medals, look at which faction you actually fight and which role your squad keeps leaving uncovered.

Bottom line

7.0.2 is current, but weapon balance stopped moving at 7.0.0, so there is nothing to rebuild. The two things worth acting on are the short-magazine ammo increases and the fact that the regenerating Crusher demands damage that never pauses. Take any new configuration to the range or a low difficulty first and confirm how it handles and how the ammo lasts.

Sources

• Helldivers Wiki — 1.007.000 (7.0.0 Devoid of Liberty) (released 12 August 2026: short magazine and sidearm ammo rebalance, new Illuminate enemies, assisted reload rework)
• Helldivers Wiki — 1.007.001 (7.0.1) (released 17 August 2026: crash fixes and a stratagem UI fix only)
• Helldivers Wiki — 1.007.002 (7.0.2) (released 25 August 2026: crash fixes only)
• Arrowhead — HELLDIVERS 2 official news on Steam (the patch notes themselves; per-announcement URLs redirect to this index, so the index is cited)
• Helldivers Wiki — R-36 Eruptor (behaviour and handling of the six shortlisted weapons)
• Helldivers Wiki — SG-225IE Breaker Incendiary (behaviour and handling of the six shortlisted weapons)
• Helldivers Wiki — PLAS-1 Scorcher (behaviour and handling of the six shortlisted weapons)
• Helldivers Wiki — LAS-16 Sickle (behaviour and handling of the six shortlisted weapons)
• Helldivers Wiki — AR-23A Liberator Carbine (behaviour and handling of the six shortlisted weapons)
• Helldivers Wiki — R-63CS Diligence Counter Sniper (behaviour and handling of the six shortlisted weapons)
• Helldivers Wiki — AC-8 Autocannon (confirming it occupies the backpack slot)