The Last of Us Part II Remastered arrived on PC on 3 April 2025, ported by Nixxes and Iron Galaxy from Naughty Dog's 2020 original. Alongside the visual work it carries three things the 2020 release never had: No Return, a roguelike survival mode with twelve playable characters, three unfinished Lost Levels shipped with developer commentary, and Guitar Free Play. The campaign is unchanged at 11 acts and 46 sub chapters, split between Ellie and Abby across the same three days in Seattle.
Your choice of weapons defines your damage output and playstyle. This guide ranks every major option, explains what makes each one strong, and tells you which builds they pair best with.
Weapons Rankings
| Weapon | Tier | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semi-Auto Pistol | S | The entire early game, and finishing wounded enemies without spending rifle ammunition. | Ellie's default sidearm and the gun she is least likely to run dry on. |
| Bow | A | Stealth clears and Grounded runs, where a weapon that pays for itself changes the whole resource economy. | Ellie's silent option, and the only weapon whose ammunition is recoverable from bodies and walls after a kill. |
| Pump Shotgun | A | Corridors, Bloater encounters and the moment a stealth plan falls apart. | Ellie's close range answer, brutal against Clickers and Shamblers and completely wasted on anything past a few metres. |
| Hunting Pistol | B | Armoured WLF soldiers and any single target you want removed in one shot. | Abby's high calibre scoped sidearm, hitting far harder than her Military Pistol while carrying very little ammunition. |
| Flamethrower | B | Infected swarms in the hospital sections, where crowd control beats precision. | Picked up by Abby during The Descent on Seattle Day 2. |
S-Tier: Semi-Auto Pistol
Ellie's default sidearm and the gun she is least likely to run dry on. It upgrades at workbenches for stability, capacity, rate of fire and reload speed.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | S |
| Best For | The entire early game, and finishing wounded enemies without spending rifle ammunition. |
| Key Mechanic | Crafting under pressure |
| Recommended Role | Ellie |
How to get it: Available from mid-game onward. See our walkthrough for the exact progression point.
Best builds using Semi-Auto Pistol: Pairs naturally with Ellie thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Bow
Ellie's silent option, and the only weapon whose ammunition is recoverable from bodies and walls after a kill.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Stealth clears and Grounded runs, where a weapon that pays for itself changes the whole resource economy. |
| Key Mechanic | Prone stealth and grass |
| Recommended Role | Abby |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Bow: Pairs naturally with Abby thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Pump Shotgun
Ellie's close range answer, brutal against Clickers and Shamblers and completely wasted on anything past a few metres.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Corridors, Bloater encounters and the moment a stealth plan falls apart. |
| Key Mechanic | Listen Mode tracking |
| Recommended Role | Tommy |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Pump Shotgun: Pairs naturally with Tommy thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Hunting Pistol
Abby's high calibre scoped sidearm, hitting far harder than her Military Pistol while carrying very little ammunition.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Armoured WLF soldiers and any single target you want removed in one shot. |
| Key Mechanic | Weapon and skill upgrades |
| Recommended Role | Lev |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Hunting Pistol: Pairs naturally with Lev thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Flamethrower
Picked up by Abby during The Descent on Seattle Day 2. It shreds grouped Infected and keeps burning after contact rather than doing one hit of damage.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Infected swarms in the hospital sections, where crowd control beats precision. |
| Key Mechanic | No Return run structure |
| Recommended Role | Manny |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Flamethrower: Pairs naturally with Manny thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
Weapons Progression Path
The order you should acquire weapons as you progress:
- Starting gear → Enough to clear Jackson
- Bow → Your first real upgrade, available early
- Pump Shotgun → Mid-game upgrade with good scaling
- Semi-Auto Pistol → Best-in-slot, aim for this by late game
- Upgrade to max → The power spike from max upgrades is enormous
Weapons Tips
- Always upgrade your primary weapon before diversifying. One strong option beats three mediocre ones.
- Match your weapons to your build's stat priorities for maximum scaling.
- Crafting draws on one shared pool, so a health kit and a Molotov compete for the same alcohol and rags. On Survivor and Grounded most players over craft health kits early and then have nothing to throw when a Bloater arrives.
- Check our tier list for how weapons rankings affect overall build effectiveness.
More The Last of Us Part II Remastered Guides
- The Last of Us Part II Remastered The Last of Us Part II Remastered Overview
- The Last of Us Part II Remastered Best Builds
- The Last of Us Part II Remastered Tier List
- The Last of Us Part II Remastered Walkthrough
- The Last of Us Part II Remastered Beginner's Guide
- The Last of Us Part II Remastered Tips & Tricks
- The Last of Us Part II Remastered Combat Guide
- The Last of Us Part II Remastered Boss Guide
- The Last of Us Part II Remastered Maps & Locations
- The Last of Us Part II Remastered Crafting Guide
- The Last of Us Part II Remastered Classes & Characters
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