With the launch of every season in Apex Legends, Respawn Entertainment brings some balance changes that shift around how weapons perform in the season. Additionally, each season usually brings either a new map or a map rework that will dictate which archetype of weapons will perform better. With Season 7, no new weapons were introduced, but a new map is in play and there are some weapon buffs and nerfs. Here are where the weapons fall for Season 7 of Apex Legends.
NOTE: This list does not factor in hop-ups in the placement of weapons on the tier list. This is based solely on performance when picking the weapon up off the ground and how it performs thus far this season. Additionally, the weapons are placed in tiers, and then the tiers are sorted alphabetically.
S-Tier
Peacekeeper - The Peacekeeper, while being a care package weapon, is still the cream of the crop when it comes to shotguns. The Peacekeeper can deal insane amounts of damage both up close and from a distance thanks to the Precision Choke built into the weapon. Additionally, with the ability to toggle the Precision Chock effect on and off, players can even be stealthy and sneak up to get the drop on an enemy without the Choke alerting enemies to their presence. When it comes to shotguns, there are no other weapons that come remotely close to the Peacekeeper.
Volt - The Volt SMG is one of the many weapons making a comeback from Titanfall, and it is certainly making a name for itself in the Apex Games. The Volt performed exceptionally well in its first season, ranking at the top of the tier list last season as well. Being an Energy Weapon means that damage falloff is nonexistent, so if players can control the recoil, this SMG can melt through players with ease.
A-Tier
Flatline - The Flatline has always been one of the best weapons in Apex Legends due to its consistent damage, manageable recoil, and decent base magazine capacity. The Flatline can carry a player from beginning to end without every having to worry about being outclassed by other assault rifles. While the SMG duo of the Volt and R-99 have a much faster TTK, the Flatline is more reliable to more players, making it a great all-around weapon.
Kraber - The Kraber is the one weapon in Apex Legends that is able to one-shot any player (Except the beast of a man that is Gibraltar), but being a care package weapon means it has limited ammo. It also heavily relies on headshots to one-tap opponents. If players can consistently line up shots, the Kraber will perform wonders in their hands, but otherwise, it is wasted potential.
Prowler - With the launch of Season 7, Respawn moved the R-99 back to the ground loot pool and moved the Prowler into Care Packages, much to the disappointment of many players (though there are a lot of players happy to have the R-99 back). However, since the Select-Fire Hop-Up is now included as part of the weapon, the Prowler's off-the-ground potential has skyrocketed. While the Prowler is great in burst-fire, full-auto can do a lot of damage. It's worth trying to track down a Care Package on the new Olympus map if players have the opportunity,
R-301 - The R-301 is the other solid work-horse weapon of Apex Legends, providing consistent damage and a smooth and easy-to-control recoil. While it deals less damage outright than the Flatline, the R-301's recoil is much easier to control.
R-99 - Little needs to be said about the R-99 that hasn't already been said first-hand. In the proper hands, this SMG can absolutely melt people at close range, much like the Volt. The only thing separating the two is the fact that the R-99 has to deal with damage fall-off, which lets the Volt creep just ever-so-slightly ahead of this deadly SMG.
Spitfire - The Spitfire may fire slower than the Devotion, but it is far more reliable. Each bullet deals great damage, and the Spitfire can send out a LOT of them. The Spitfire's magazine is absolutely massive, and only gets better with more attachments. It is without a doubt a great weapon for nearly any fight, and can even be used to take pot-shots at far-away enemies too! Give it a shot while using Rampart to really see this gun's full potential.
B-Tier
Charge Rifle - The infamous Charge Rifle was introduced back in Season 3 of Apex Legends and has been retuned a bit since then. This weapon can cross-map players without sacrificing damage, yet eats through ammo pretty quickly. It's less reliable at close range, but players can rack up some serious damage just messing around with this gun.
Devotion - This Energy LMG can be a powerhouse in the right hands, but what keeps it out of higher tiers is the spin-up time required to get it firing. When fully spun up, the Devotion carves through people, but the spin-up time can be just enough of a delay to cost the user the fight. If the Devotion were to fire as fast as it does with the Turbocharger, it would be S-Tier.
EVA-8 - The EVA-8 is a great, reliable shotgun and fires in full-auto which is nice for a Shotgun. The spread pattern makes it so that if aimed correctly, it will deal great headshot AND body shot damage. At very close range, the EVA melts through shields and is a great weapon to follow up with in effective range.
G7 Scout - The former Sniper-turned-Assault Rifle is a great weapon for those who want a gun for medium-range engagements. The Scout has a decent rate of fire and decent damage, quite deadly in the right hands. For those players who want a really forgiving Sniper Rifle at the cost of a bit of damage, the Scout is definitely the pick for them.
Havoc - The Havoc is one of Respawn's most adjusted weapons. Every season the Havoc is either buffed or nerfed and has not found a stable spot yet. It's high rate-of-fire is held back by a spin-up timer just like the Devotion, so without the Turbocharger, it's pretty rough to use unless getting the drop on someone. It's recoil is a bit erratic, but that's the part Respawn keeps changing. Overall a decent weapon, but the spin-up time can be a dealbreaker.
Hemlock - The Hemlock's strength comes from its variable firing styles, being able to be switched from burst to single fire at will. The Hemlock, despite it's recoil nerf this Season, still performs incredibly well in both firing modes, though many players prefer to use it in single-fire for the most part. It has great range and good damage, and only gets better with more attachments. Burst fire is still great for close-range.
L-Star - The L-Star actually got a buff this season, reducing its "cool-off" timer if players don't overheat the weapon. If players feather the trigger, it can be a powerful close-range weapon. Despite being an LMG, this gun should be treated as a Shotgun, because beyond close-range the L-Star's ability to hit targets is pretty rough.
Longbow - The Longbow is more forgiving than the Sentinel thanks to its faster fire rate, but overall the two are pretty similar. While lacking the ability to Amp shots, the Longbow can deal great damage if players can hit headshots. It's one of the strongest options for long-range engagements, and only gets better with the Skullpiercer hop-up.
Mozambique - What turned out as a meme weapon for the longest time as actually grown to be a decent sidearm weapon. With the increased magazine size, it is less punishing if a player misses a shot, and it can reliable tear off armor if push comes to shove. While not factored into the rating, if the 'Bique gets Hammerpoints, it becomes an absolute monster. But without them, the 'Bique is just a good sidearm that deals pretty solid damage at close range.
Sentinel - The Sentinel was introduced during Season 4 of Apex Legends alongside the brooding Revenant and it has held up extremely well since then. It is a high-damage, slow rate-of-fire sniper that can deal increased damage if players burn two Shield Cells to Amplify the rounds. The Sentinel can deal amazing damage if players can hit their shots, especially if the shots are amplified, but the margin-of-error is punishing if players don't have excellent accuracy. If players can get the high-round using Octane or the new Legend Horizon then the Sentinel is a great weapon. It just takes a little more set-up to have ideal damage conditions.
Triple Take - Despite receiving yet another rate-of-fire nerf in Season 7's big update, the Triple Take still remains a solid Sniper/Shotgun hybrid. At close range, the Triple Take (while not ideal) can still pump out great damage due to its multiple projectiles. And at long range, the Precision Choke toggle allows players to condense the spread of the projectiles for more damage. It's a great, reliable weapon, and it's pretty forgiving.
Wingman - The Wingman was originally designed to be a sidearm that is used to finish opponents off. However, many players use it as a primary due to its high damage and crit multiplier. If players can hit shots, the Wingman is a great weapon, but for those without stellar accuracy, a shotgun or a Longbow/Triple Take may be a safer route. It does get a special mention that it can now take two separate hop-ups: the Skullpiercer and the Quickdraw Holster.
C-Tier
Alternator - The Alternator is by no means a bad gun, but it is severely outclassed by its competition. If the 301 and the Flatline are the work-horse Assault Rifles, the Alternator is that for SMGs. It has a stable recoil, decent rate-of-fire, and decent magazine capacity. It's just that every player will swap it for any of the other SMGs given the chance.
Mastiff - The Mastiff used to be a care package weapon until it was removed back when the Peacekeeper went into the packages. The Mastiff has really high damage potential, and if the stars align, it can deal massive damage to opponents, especially if players can get the drop on them with a Legend like Mirage. However, the Mastiff's damage output is incredibly inconsistent.
RE-45 - The RE-45 has always been a strange weapon in the game. It is a fast-firing, full-auto pistol that can really pump out some damage, but the magazine size leaves a lot to be desired. It's an okay gun all things considered, but should honestly be replaced by any SMG or Assault Rifle given the opportunity to do so. If hop-ups were a factor in rating, the new Quickdraw Holster makes the RE-45 a great secondary weapon, but without it, the gun is just okay.
D-Tier
P2020 - The P2020 is not a terrible gun by any means, but unfortunately it has low damage, a low magazine, and is really only useful with the Hammerpoint Hop-Up. The P2020 is clearly designed to be a first-fight weapon, and is intended to be dropped as players gear up, which means it has low holding power without the Hammerpoints.
And that wraps up the Season 7 weapon tier list. Not a whole lot has shifted compared to last season, but without a new weapon to play with, players are just finding better ways to use the existing weapons on the new Olympus map. Respawn makes balance changes around Seasonal Splits, so this tier list may change whenever the Ranked Split shifts over to World's Edge.
Apex Legends is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. A Switch version is currently in development.