Best Weapons for PvE and PvEvP in World War Z

Be prepared for all types of combat in any mode with the help of this guide to World War Z's best weapons.
Be prepared for all types of combat in any mode with the help of this guide to World War Z's best weapons.

There are two kinds of weapons in World War Z: normal weapons and top-tier weapons. You get normal weapons through skill trees, although some can only be obtained with certain classes. You get top-tier weapons in the four world zones. 

The latter category includes some of the most overpowered assault rifles, shotguns, SMGs, and guns available in the game. In this guide, we'll look at the best weapons from both of these categories.

Most of these weapons can be equally effective in PvE and PvEvP game modes. Using or finding just one of them can turn the tide in either mode. 

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Repeater X Crossbow

  • Power: 50
  • Accuracy: 60
  • Handling: 100
  • Fire Rate: 10
  • Max Penetration: 0
  • Magazine: 5

If you can find the Repeater X crossbow in World War Z, then consider yourself lucky. 

The Repeater is very accurate, and the bolts explode with a slight delay after hitting their targets. The range on this weapon is also very generous, so you don't have to be close to zombies to kill them efficiently, giving you room to plan your escape or set up your defenses. 

To make the most of the Repeater, use it on a swarm. Explosions from its explosive bolts will deal splash damage to nearby zombies. This will save you ammo in the long run. 


Taiga-12 Assault Shotgun

  • Power: 80
  • Accuracy: 30
  • Handling: 50
  • Fire Rate: 30
  • Max Penetration: 100
  • Magazine: 12

The Taiga-12 shotgun is a heavy weapon, which means that it has pretty strong recoil. Consequently, you'll want to upgrade the Taiga-12 with a vertical grip as soon as you have the chance. 

Other than that small upgrade cost, there is probably no better assault weapon in World War Z. This shotgun's damage output is extremely high, and it can be effectively used against both single targets and swarms using its semi-automatic fire mode.


Keris V10 Advanced SMG

  • Power: 60
  • Accuracy: 50
  • Handling: 70
  • Fire Rate: 90
  • Max Penetration: 0
  • Magazine: 45

If damage is not what you're looking for and you care more about dealing with as many zombies as possible in the most efficient way, then you probably need a weapon that has a very high fire rate.

Enter the Keris V10. This submachine gun is exactly that kind of weapon. It's not terribly accurate, especially in automatic mode, but if you're fighting against a couple of dozen zombies, then accuracy is the least of your worries. 

With a 90 fire-rate rating, the highest on this list, the Keris V-10 can mow down the undead in scores. 


XTAR-95 Bullpup Rifle

  • Power: 70
  • Accuracy: 85
  • Handling: 70
  • Fire Rate: 60
  • Max Penetration: 100
  • Magazine: 30

The XTAR-95 is special because of its fully upgraded max penetration stat. This means that when a group or horde of zombies is running toward you, your bullets will be able to pass through all of the undead standing in the way.

That's made even more devastating because of the XTAR's accuracy, which is also surprisingly high. That means you can use the rifle with great efficiency in automatic mode.


HAMR-17 Battle Rifle

  • Power: 60
  • Accuracy: 70
  • Handling: 75
  • Fire Rate: 40
  • Max Penetration: 100
  • Magazine: 25

The only difference between the XTAR-95 and the HAMR-17 is the power rate of each rifle. This battle rifle is just a tad weaker in that regard. But if you can't find the XTAR-95, then this battle rifle will do the job just fine.

You can improve this weapon with various attachments like scope and vertical grip for even better accuracy and handling.


HW416 Assault Carbine

  • Power: 60
  • Accuracy: 65
  • Handling: 80
  • Fire Rate: 75
  • Max Penetration: 50
  • Magazine: 40

This carbine is a mix between an assault rifle and an SMG. It's got a decent fire rate and the right amount of power to make the best of both worlds.

But the best part about HW416 is its reload time, which is faster than you would usually expect from a weapon of this type.

This means that you don't have to increase magazine capacity to achieve the same effect. You can use your coins for better attachments, like a grip or a scope.


Pac-15 Sporting Carbine

  • Power: 40
  • Accuracy: 50
  • Handling: 60
  • Fire Rate: 40
  • Max Penetration: 100
  • Magazine: 20

Unlike all of the previous weapons on this list, which you can only find in the game world, this sporting carbine can be accessed through your character's skill tree, specifically the Gunslinger and Fixer.

Once again, this weapon's main stat is max penetration, which guarantees total devastation of an entire horde of zombies.


ARK-103 Assault Rifle

  • Power: 40
  • Accuracy: 50
  • Handling: 65
  • Fire Rate: 60
  • Max Penetration: 50
  • Magazine: 40

Don't let the name of this weapon fool you, as it is simply an improved version of the famous AKM assault rifle.

It has all the advantages and disadvantages of a typical AKM, unless you decide to invest a few coins into its attachments.

Just like Pac-15 this weapon can be accessed through a skill tree of the Gunslinger and Exterminator.


SchreiTech Chainsaw

Lastly, here's the best possible weapon for players who like to play as Slasher, or those who simply enjoy melee combat more than anything in World War Z.

The chainsaw is the perfect weapon against a horde of crazed zombies, who will get easily shredded by this noisy monster.

Just remember that it has limited gasoline capacity, which equals 80 seconds of active time. So use it sparingly!

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Which weapons and guns do you like most? Be sure to head over to our World War Z guides page for more tips, tricks, and lists for the latest zombi-killing game. 


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Serhii Patskan
Serhii is the Writer at GameSkinny. He's been writing for GameSkinny since 2015. Before that, he's been writing for various outlets and playing video games, which eventually turned into a passion. The video games that have contributed the most to his enthusiasm for writing about this industry are Magic: The Gathering, Dark Souls, and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.