What’s the best gun in Valorant? We explain why this should be your top choice

Valorant is a game that prides itself on a variety of weapons, each with its advantages and disadvantages.

Be it the diversity in pistols, the different variants of snipers and shotguns, and of course, the rifles, there are a lot of different armaments you can use in your climb to the top of the leaderboard.

The best gun in Valorant should give you options, especially since each weapon has their pros and cons depending on the situation.

If you’re in an economic crunch, the Marshall and Sheriff are often used. The Judge shotgun is also a good niche weapon for close combat, and it continues to be a menace in-game to professional players and casuals alike. However, looking at the statistics, there is a favorite that stands out.

After three years, and numerous meta shifts, the time has arrived to crown the best gun in Valorant. With shotguns, rifles, and snipers amok, including the new Outlaw sniper, we looked at the statistics and the economy while deciding which is the best weapon your Valorant credits can get you.

What is the best gun in Valorant?

To be the best, you need to learn from the rest. Let’s rate the guns in Valorant, by usage in tournaments and category.

Firstly, in the pistol category, it’s the Classic that gets the award for most used weapon. While the classic is a free pistol, it is still one of the best for agents in Valorant that need to buy utility upward of 300 credits, such as a Barrier orb on Sage.

Your best bet is to grab half armor, utility, and the classic. While it does less damage at range, the Classic does do better in close range thanks to the triple-burst mode that can be devastating.

When it comes to sniper rifles, both the Marshal and Operator found their use in the game. However, in terms of both pick rate and usage, the Operator ranked higher — if you can afford it.

Priced at 4,700 credits, the Operator is most expensive gun in the game. Despite being so pricey, it is the only weapon that can land a one-hit knockout without a headshot on a player with full-armor and HP. Its long range also helps teams defend better.

In the shotgun category lies Valorant’s most annoying yet powerful weapon, albeit one which possesses a more niche usage than the rifle. The Judge, an automatic weapon priced at 1,850 credits was the most chosen shotgun at VCT Champions.

The Judge, which not only one-shots most players at close range irrespective of whether it’s a head or a body shot, is also deadly in the hands of duelists like Raze and Jett. Both of these agents, with their Satchels and Tailwind abilities respectively, can easily close the distance and take a close-range fight.

If your team is in a bit of an economic crunch and you need a good weapon to play from a close angle from, the Judge is your best friend.

Finally, in the rifle category, we also find our number one contender — the Vandal. In terms of pick percentage, it’s both the Vandal and Phantom that top the charts, between both of them, accounting for more than 50% of the weapons chosen at international Valorant LANS in 2023.

Before we evaluate which is truly the best gun in Valorant, here’s a recap of the top five.

The number one contender is still the Vandal

Whether you’re looking at casual games or the most intense VCT matches, if you’re wondering what the pros use, one weapon wins out by far — and that is the Vandal rifle.

The Vandal is one of the top rifles available in Valorant and is priced at a solid 2900 credits. This weapon is the most expensive of the rifles, along with the Phantom, and is a staple of rounds where you have the economy to fully buy up.

The key differentiator between the Vandal and Phantom is the lack of damage fall-off across longer ranges in the former. 

Across all of 2023’s international tournaments — LOCK//IN, Tokyo, and Champions 2023 — it was the Vandal that reigned supreme, with a pick rate of over 35% in all three events, almost double of its closest rival, the Phantom. 

But why is it so highly favored by the community? Let’s take a deep dive into the many reasons for this weapon’s reputation.

Why is the Vandal the best gun in Valorant?

First of all, in a game where reflexes and aim are paramount, a weapon with the lowest time to kill should logically see more usage.

With a guaranteed kill off of a headshot irrespective of range thanks to its 160 damage, the Vandal is great for pros.

While its rifle counterpart, the Phantom has more bullets and is easier to spray control, the Vandal’s damage output (and the lack of frustrating 140-damage headshots) make it a favorite in the VCT.

Secondly, last year, thanks to NRG and Fnatic, the strategy of buying half-armor and a rifle to bolster economy cycles became a trademark of the meta.

Thus, rifle usage in general saw a huge buff. With a long-range Phantom headshot still doing 124 damage, one HP short of being able to take out a player with a half-shield, the Vandal just made more sense to use.

Thirdly, several maps have long angles to clear, and having a gun that does equal damage across mid and long ranges can make or break a round. The Vandal shines in this regard, especially with the return of Icebox to the competitive map pool in this act and Breeze in the previous. The supremacy of this rifle will continue, and it is likely to remain the best gun in Valorant.

Finally, on a less serious note, the Vandal arguably has some of the best skins and sound effects in the game. Whether it’s the crisp note of a headshot from the Prime, the satisfying ring of a Reaver, or the new, intense Kuronami Vandal, the gun has a skin for every taste.

Does the new Outlaw sniper change things?

While the new sniper, the Outlaw, should cause some waves in the meta, it is unlikely to dislodge the Vandal from its top spot anytime soon.

Priced at 2400 credits — compared to the 2900 Vandal — odds are that if you can afford the former, you can splurge on the latter. If you can’t afford the Vandal but can afford an Outlaw, you should probably be going for a full eco anyway.

The Vandal is far more versatile than the Outlaw for it’s effective at close, mid, and long ranges, while also being considerably better in terms of mobility.

So keep practicing those crisp Vandal headshots, because this rifle is here to stay.

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