How we rank these weapons
Rankings use base damage, time-to-kill, whether you can hold the spray, how many attachment slots the gun takes, and whether you can find the ammo. A gun that needs a full kit to function drops a tier. A gun you cannot feed dies in the third circle.
Tournament coverage still puts M416 in most primary AR slots, often near 85%. When an AWM is in the crate, pickup is near universal. Version 4.4 made that pairing official design: ARs got a close-to-mid bump so the second slot can stay on a sniper or DMR.
Recoil beats paper DPS. Vector still prints 574 DPS at 0.054s intervals. The 19-round mag burns 9mm before your squad can share. After 4.5 you sprint at full speed with it, so the gun finally matches the number.
Map still decides the pair. Erangel and Miramar want a long gun. Sanhok and Livik want an SMG plus an AR. Vikendi wants both.
S-tier: guns you keep
M416
41 base damage. 0.085s interval. 482 DPS. Full attachment list, including Tactical Stock. Compensator (about 25% recoil cut), Vertical Foregrip, Tactical Stock, and Extended Quickdraw still turn the spray into a 100m hold.
5.56mm is everywhere. The pattern is vertical enough for a new account and tight enough for a ranked IGL. Pros pair it with Kar98k or Mini-14 because one mag covers the compound and the ridge.
AWM
Airdrop only. 105 damage on .300 Magnum. A headshot deletes a Level 3 helmet. You get about 20 rounds and a 1.85s bolt. Miss and you own the next two seconds.
8x, Suppressor, and Cheek Pad change how the other squad rotates. They stop peeking the same window. Coverage from PMGC 2025 still cites a 15% win-rate lift for squads that hold crate guns, and about 95% pickup when the AWM is in the box.
Version 4.4 removed damage falloff on AWM, Kar98k, M24, Mini-14, SLR, Mk14, and the rest of that list. Distant shots hit the same number they hit at 50m.
Groza
Airdrop AR. 48 damage on 7.62mm. 0.08s interval. 600 DPS. Built-in suppressor. Ground loot does not match this in a building push.
Attachment slots are thin. Base output covers that. Red dot for the compound. Burst at 25–50m. Pair with AWM if the same crate gives both.
Vector
31 damage. 0.054s interval. 574 DPS. Fastest close TTK in the original numbers, and 4.5 finally lets you run with it at empty-hand speed. Draw and stow are about 30% faster. Moving spread is about 15% tighter. Same list covers UMP45.
The 19-round mag is still the ceiling. Extended Quickdraw is the attachment that keeps it in S. Without it, you reload in the doorway. 9mm is common. Hold 150+ rounds if you spray compounds on Sanhok.
A-tier: one flaw, still a keep
Beryl M762
46 damage. 0.086s interval. About 535 DPS. Faster TTK than M416 if the bullets land. Compensator and Vertical Foregrip are required. Horizontal bounce past 50m punishes a full spray.
7.62mm hits harder than 5.56mm. Burst 5–7 at mid range. Full-auto only inside 30m unless you already own the pattern.
AKM
48 damage. Hardest-hitting common AR. 0.1s interval. Tap at mid range. Past 30m the vertical and horizontal mix will walk off a standing target.
Compensator is the first pickup. Master the pattern and you two-tap unarmored targets inside 30m.
Kar98k
79 damage on 7.62mm. Headshot deletes a Level 2 helmet without a crate. 1.9s bolt. 4.4 also removed its damage falloff, so a 200m shot is the same hit as a 50m shot.
8x for the ridge. Suppressor if you want the next peek. Cheek Pad and Bullet Loops if they drop. Military spawn sits near 10%, civilian near 5%.
UMP45
40 damage on .45 ACP. Recoil feels close to M416, so the skill transfers. Effective to about 50m. 4.5 gave it the same sprint, draw, and moving-spread package as Vector. That is why it leaves B-tier.
Suppressor is a real stealth option. Less DPS than Vector. Better range and ammo economy. Western squads still lean this way when they want an SMG that holds a rotate.
Mini-14
5.56mm DMR. Shares ammo with M416. 4.4 removed falloff on Mini-14, SLR, SKS, Mk12, Mk14, and QBU. You tap the same damage at 200m that you tap at 80m.
This is the second slot when you cannot find Kar98k. Lower per-shot punch than a bolt gun. Faster follow-up. M416 + Mini-14 is the same-caliber pair that keeps the backpack clean.
B-tier: solid, with a catch
SCAR-L
Same 41 damage as M416. 0.096s interval. Softer recoil. Lower peak DPS. Full attachments. Good while you learn the M416 pattern. Spawn is higher than M416 (about 20% military, 12% civilian), so you will see it first.
ACE32
Ground 7.62mm AR. Version 4.5 cut base damage from 47 to 46 and tightened stability, sway, and the spray. More attachment slots than most ARs. Use it when Beryl recoil is too much and AKM feels slow. 4.6 beta talk about extra 7.62mm tweaks is not live. Rank the 4.5 gun.
M24
Bolt sniper. Same 79-class headshot job as Kar98k on Level 2. Cleaner feel for some hands. Rarer. 4.4 falloff removal applies here too.
DBS
Still deletes a room at point-blank. Version 4.4 cut shotgun armor wear and steepened damage drop-off (DBS, S12K, S1897, S686, M1014, NS2000). Keep it for a building clear on Sanhok. Leave it on Erangel once you have an SMG or AR.
C-tier and D-tier
C: DP-28 (47-round hold, slow ADS), QBZ (Sanhok-heavy), M16A4 (burst timing), UZI and MP5K (need the 4.5 move buff and a short map). D: VSS (suppressed, low velocity), Win94 (Miramar lever), Crossbow (stealth meme). Drop them when S or A appears.
How to lock a Version 4.5 loadout
Step 1: Grab 5.56mm or 7.62mm first, not both. Mixed belts cost you heals and smokes.
Step 2: Kit the AR in this order: Compensator, Extended Mag, grip, stock. M416 wants Tactical Stock. Beryl and AKM want the compensator before the scope.
Step 3: Second slot is a 4.4 sniper or DMR (Kar98k, M24, Mini-14, SLR) on Erangel, Miramar, and Vikendi. On Sanhok and Livik, second slot is Vector or UMP45. PUBG Mobile 120 FPS helps you read the first recoil step. It does not change the pattern.
Step 4: Contest a crate only if the circle and your smokes allow it. Groza and AWM are the only guns that beat a kitted M416 on their own terms.
Category breakdown
Assault rifles still take most primary slots. M416 takes about half of those AR picks in tournament write-ups. They cover 0–100m without eating a full pack of ammo.
SMGs own 0–50m after 4.5 because you no longer lose sprint. Vector is the TTK pick. UMP45 is the control pick. JS9 now spawns on all Classic maps (that change shipped in 4.4).
Snipers and DMRs matter more than the 2025 page admitted. 4.4 deleted falloff and added armor wear on AMR, AWM, DSR, Kar98k, M24, Mini-14, Mk12, Mk14, Mosin, QBU, SKS, SLR, Win94, and M1 Garand. One helmet tap still decides a rotate.
DPS numbers you can check
Weapon | Damage | Interval | DPS | Note |
|---|
M416 | 41 | 0.085s | 482 | Default primary |
Vector | 31 | 0.054s | 574 | Needs Extended Mag |
Beryl M762 | 46 | 0.086s | 535 | Recoil tax |
Groza | 48 | 0.08s | 600 | Crate AR |
AKM | 48 | 0.10s | 480 | Tap past 30m |
AWM | 105 | 1.85s bolt | n/a | Level 3 helmet tap |
Compensator cuts recoil about 25%. Extended Mag adds 33–100% capacity by gun. Tactical Stock is the M416 slot that other 5.56 ARs do not get. Those three can move a gun a full tier in your hands.
Mistakes that still show up in ranked
Chasing damage over control. New accounts take AKM or Beryl over SCAR-L or M416, then miss past 20m.
Mixing 5.56mm and 7.62mm on one vest. Your squad loses meds to your belts.
Running Vector without Extended Mag, or M416 without a muzzle, then blaming the tier list.
Shotgun-only on Erangel. Sniper-only on Sanhok. The map is the first filter.
Pro scene after PMGC 2025
Alpha7 Esports won PMGC 2025 in Bangkok (12–14 December) with 142 points. The pair that coverage repeats is M416 + Kar98k: mid-range spray plus a Level 2 helmet tap. That replaces the old “Team Secret 90%” line. Secret is not the 2026 reference team.
Aggressive rooms still flash Beryl + Vector, the old NOVA-style push. Indonesian lineups still show SCAR-L or M416 with M24 when they want a quieter spray.
Asian teams still take Vector more often. Western teams still take UMP45. That is pace, not a hidden stat gap. After 4.5 both SMGs sprint the same, so the split is magazine and range, not movement.
Maps and spawn rates
Erangel / Miramar: open sightlines. Bring Kar98k, M24, Mini-14, or AWM. An AR-only bag loses the ridge.
Sanhok / Livik: compounds. Vector or UMP45 plus M416 or Groza. DBS only for the first two buildings.
Vikendi: mixed. M416 + Kar98k still covers snow and town.
NARUTO: Ninjas Assemble runs on Erangel, Livik, and Sanhok through 7 September 2026. Ninjutsu is mode rules. Classic gun ranks above still apply in unthemed Classic.
Approximate spawn rates from the old page, still the right order of magnitude: M416 about 15% military / 8% civilian. SCAR-L about 20% / 12%. Kar98k about 10% / 5%. Vector about 12% military. AWM is crate-only; crate tables still put it near a 30% appearance chance.
Tournament write-ups still cite M416 near 85% primary usage, Kar98k near 60% as the bolt secondary, Vector near 25% of SMG picks, AWM near 95% when it drops, snipers in about 80% of final-circle bags.
Attachment priority
Compensator on AKM, Beryl, ACE32.
Extended Mag on Vector, then on your AR.
Vertical Foregrip, then Angled if you tap more than you spray.
Tactical Stock on M416.
Scope last: red dot or 3x for SMG/AR, 4x/6x for the mid hold, 8x on the bolt gun.
Groza ranks S with few slots because 48 / 0.08s and the built-in can already beat a ground AR.
Range cards
0–50m: Vector (0.054s). Groza (48 + suppressor). DBS only inside a doorway after the 4.4 pellet nerf.
50–100m: kitted M416. Beryl if you can burst. UMP45 if you kept the SMG for the rotate.
100m+: AWM for the Level 3 tap. Kar98k and M24 for Level 2. Mini-14 and SLR for follow-up shots. 4x for the mid cut. 6x/8x for the ridge. 4.4 means you no longer lose damage to distance on those guns.
FAQ
Which weapon is the best all-round pick in PUBG Mobile?
M416. 41 damage, 0.085s interval, full attachments, 5.56mm everywhere. It holds close through long if you kit Compensator, grip, Tactical Stock, and Extended Quickdraw. How to top up PUBG UC on BitTopup is the Player ID path if you need Pass or a crate for the cosmetic, not the gun.
Vector or UMP45 after the 4.5 SMG buff?
Both sprint at empty-hand speed now. Vector wins TTK at 0.054s and dies on a 19-round mag. UMP45 wins 50m holds and ammo. Take Vector for a compound stack. Take UMP45 if you still need a rotate gun.
What attachment should I pick first?
Compensator on high-recoil 7.62mm (AKM, Beryl, ACE32). Extended Mag on Vector. Tactical Stock on M416 once the muzzle is on. Scope is last.
Should I chase airdrops for Groza and AWM?
Yes if the zone and smokes are yours. Coverage still quotes about 15% higher win rates for crate-weapon squads. AWM is the only Level 3 helmet tap. Groza is the only ground-beating close AR. If the circle is the other side of the map, keep the kitted M416.
Did Version 4.5 change M416 or AWM damage?
No. 4.5 changed ACE32 (47 to 46, tighter spray) and SMG movement. M416 stays 41 / 0.085s. AWM stays 105 / 1.85s. The last big sniper change was 4.4: no damage falloff. Krafton posts version notes on the official PUBG Mobile site.
Conclusion
The August 2026 PUBG Mobile weapon tier list is M416 plus a 4.4 sniper or DMR, with Vector or UMP45 on the short maps, and Groza or AWM when the crate is free. Bookmark the page. 4.6 on 9 September will move 7.62mm again.
When you need UC for Pass or crates, buy PUBG Mobile UC on BitTopup. Player ID only.
