Rebellion released Sniper Elite 5 on 26 May 2022 and set it in France in 1944, where Karl Fairburne works with the Resistance to unpick a Nazi programme called Operation Kraken across nine campaign missions. The maps are the largest the series has built, and each one hides three workbenches that permanently unlock scopes, barrels, stocks and ammunition types. Axis Invasion drops a second human player into your campaign as a German sniper, which turns a patient stalk into a two way hunt with no warning.
This walkthrough takes you from your first session to endgame content. Each phase has specific goals, priorities, and milestones. New to the game? Start with our beginner's guide first.
Quick Progression Summary
| Phase | Area | Focus | Role | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Start | The Atlantic Wall | Ballistics and bullet drop basics | Silent infiltrator | 1-2 hours |
| 2. Early | Occupied Residence | X-ray kill cam mastery | Silent infiltrator | 3-5 hours |
| 3. Mid | Spy Academy | Sound masking + gear | Long range marksman or Silent infiltrator | 5-10 hours |
| 4. Late | War Factory | Build optimization | Long range marksman | 5-10 hours |
| 5. Endgame | Festung Guernsey | Min-max | Long range marksman or Invasion duellist | Ongoing |
See our maps guide for detailed area breakdowns.
Phase 1: Getting Started (The Atlantic Wall)
Colline Sur Mer, the beach and bunker opening that teaches wind, cover and the Resistance objectives. Sightlines run long across sand and concrete, so it is the cleanest place to practise holding over before you own a good scope.
Level/Difficulty: Mission 1 of 9, campaign opener Key Rewards: First rifle, secondary and pistol workbenches, the Welrod, and the introduction to Operation Kraken
What to Do in The Atlantic Wall
- Learn Ballistics and bullet drop. On Sniper Elite difficulty and above the scope stops drawing a corrected aim dot, so you read the wind indicator and hold over by eye. Spend your first session getting comfortable with this.
- Pick Silent infiltrator as your starting role. See our builds guide for why.
- Binocular tagging is not cosmetic. Marked soldiers stay visible through walls at short range and their icons show which way they are facing, which is how you spot the two man patrol that would otherwise walk into your nest ninety seconds after you settle.
- Acquire your first weapons upgrade: Karabiner 98 or whatever's available.
- Clear all main content before moving on.
Phase 1 Checklist
- Understand Ballistics and bullet drop fundamentals
- Silent infiltrator selected and functional
- The Atlantic Wall main content cleared
- Ready for Occupied Residence
Phase 2: Early Game (Occupied Residence)
A chateau map where the objective is intel from Abelard Moller's office rather than a body count. Interiors are tight and stacked vertically, so the vents and shimmy ledges matter more than the rifle for most of the run.
Level/Difficulty: Mission 2 of 9, first indoor heavy map Key Rewards: Karabiner 98 from the chandelier kill on the target, plus Moller's documents
What to Do in Occupied Residence
- Work on X-ray kill cam. Shots that clear a distance threshold trigger the slow motion camera following the bullet through bone and organ. This system becomes critical from here on.
- Farm for Karabiner 98 if you haven't already. It's the key upgrade for this phase.
- Bodies are evidence. Drag every kill into a bush, behind a wall or off a rooftop, because a discovered corpse raises the alert state of the whole zone and starts sweeps that will find your firing position.
- Complete all objectives before pushing to Spy Academy.
- Consider whether Long range marksman might suit your playstyle better than Silent infiltrator.
Phase 2 Checklist
- X-ray kill cam integrated into gameplay
- Karabiner 98 acquired
- Occupied Residence fully cleared
- Ready for Spy Academy
Phase 3: Mid Game (Spy Academy)
Beaumont-Saint-Denis, built around eavesdropping on meetings instead of ending them. You need to reach listening positions and stay undetected long enough for the conversation to finish, which punishes aggressive play more than any other early map.
Level/Difficulty: Mission 3 of 9, stealth focused Key Rewards: Intelligence on the Kraken supply chain and three more workbenches
What to Do in Spy Academy
- Master Sound masking. Generators, aircraft passes, artillery barrages and alarm klaxons all cover the report of an unsuppressed rifle. This unlocks a new layer of gameplay.
- Start working toward M.1903. It's the best weapon and becomes accessible around now.
- The three workbenches in each mission are permanent unlocks, not consumables. Skipping them in missions 1 to 3 leaves you fighting Festung Guernsey with the stock M.1903 configuration and no reason for it.
- This area is the main skill check. If you can clear it, you're ready for late game.
- Start investing in Workbench weapon customisation for the tactical depth you'll need going forward.
Phase 3 Checklist
- Sound masking mastered
- M.1903 acquired or in progress
- Spy Academy fully cleared
- Ready for War Factory
Phase 4: Late Game (War Factory)
The Martressac plant, where machinery noise masks gunfire almost continuously and the objectives involve sabotaging production and lifting cargo manifests. It is the best map for an unsuppressed rifle in the whole campaign.
Level/Difficulty: Mission 4 of 9, industrial Key Rewards: Cargo manifests, sabotage objectives and heavy weapon workbench parts
What to Do in War Factory
- Finalize your build. You should be running Long range marksman or Silent infiltrator with optimized gear.
- M.1903 should be your primary. If you don't have it yet, prioritize getting it.
- Empty Lung drains the same stamina bar as sprinting. Arrive at the nest, wait for the bar to refill, then take the shot, because a shot fired at low stamina wanders far enough to miss a head at 150 metres.
- Axis Invasion optimization starts here. Small improvements compound into massive advantages.
- Farm this area for the resources needed to push into Festung Guernsey.
Phase 4 Checklist
- Build fully optimized
- M.1903 upgraded to max
- War Factory fully cleared
- Ready for Festung Guernsey
Phase 5: Endgame (Festung Guernsey)
An island fortress with the longest uninterrupted sightlines in the game and a prototype at the centre of it. Patrol density is high and the cliffs limit your escape routes, so plan the exit before you take the first shot.
Level/Difficulty: Mission 5 of 9, long range showcase Key Rewards: Stealth plates, the Kraken prototype objective and high magnification optics
What to Do in Festung Guernsey
- Festung Guernsey tests everything. Come prepared with your best build and gear.
- Alarm boxes are worth a detour. Disabling them before you start shooting stops a spotted kill from summoning reinforcements from across the map, which is the single biggest difference between a five minute recovery and a lost run.
- The endgame loop: run Festung Guernsey, optimize gear, push harder content.
- Experiment with Invasion duellist for a fresh take once you've mastered the standard builds.
- This is where Axis Invasion mastery separates good players from great ones. See our tips guide for advanced strategies.
Phase 5 Checklist
- Endgame content on farm
- Best-in-slot gear acquired
- Festung Guernsey fully cleared
- Ready for challenge content
Common Progression Mistakes
- Firing an unsuppressed rifle with no masking sound running. One report brings the nearest squad to your exact position, and Sniper Elite 5 tracks that position accurately enough that staying put is fatal.
- Leaving workbenches unfound. Players who rush the campaign reach mission 7 and 8 with stock weapons, then blame the ballistics for shots that a heavy barrel and match ammunition would have made.
- Treating suppressed weapons as silent at any range. The suppressor drops the noise radius, it does not remove it, and a guard 15 metres away will still turn toward the shot.
- Sprinting into a firing position and shooting immediately. Stamina governs Empty Lung, so the crosshair drifts hardest in exactly the moment most players want to shoot.
- Ignoring Axis Invasion settings on a first playthrough. Learning wind, drop and patrol routes while a human sniper hunts you is a different and much harsher game, and the toggle exists in the network options.
Key Tips for Smooth Progression
- Binocular tagging is not cosmetic. Marked soldiers stay visible through walls at short range and their icons show which way they are facing, which is how you spot the two man patrol that would otherwise walk into your nest ninety seconds after you settle.
- Bodies are evidence. Drag every kill into a bush, behind a wall or off a rooftop, because a discovered corpse raises the alert state of the whole zone and starts sweeps that will find your firing position.
- The three workbenches in each mission are permanent unlocks, not consumables. Skipping them in missions 1 to 3 leaves you fighting Festung Guernsey with the stock M.1903 configuration and no reason for it.
- Empty Lung drains the same stamina bar as sprinting. Arrive at the nest, wait for the bar to refill, then take the shot, because a shot fired at low stamina wanders far enough to miss a head at 150 metres.
- Alarm boxes are worth a detour. Disabling them before you start shooting stops a spotted kill from summoning reinforcements from across the map, which is the single biggest difference between a five minute recovery and a lost run.
For more advanced strategies, see our tips & tricks guide.
More Sniper Elite 5 Guides
- Sniper Elite 5 Sniper Elite 5 Overview
- Sniper Elite 5 Best Builds
- Sniper Elite 5 Tier List
- Sniper Elite 5 Beginner's Guide
- Sniper Elite 5 Tips & Tricks
- Sniper Elite 5 Weapons Guide
- Sniper Elite 5 Combat Guide
- Sniper Elite 5 Boss Guide
- Sniper Elite 5 Maps & Locations
- Sniper Elite 5 Crafting Guide
- Sniper Elite 5 Classes & Characters
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