In the world of Night City, sometimes V needs a lot of bullets and needs them right away. Cyberpunk 2077 fans have had a chance to digest the game for a little while, but that doesn't make the most grueling challenges any easier. Practice makes perfect, but the toughest encounters aren't going anywhere. In fact, for those who are completing the side gigs after the main quest, the real difficulty has only begun. Regardless of what stage of the game V is at, it's best to be prepared.
If the game has started to feel like less "Bring it on" and more "Not this again," then it's time to seriously consider a change of weaponry. Nobody has to throw away their trusty katana or trash their favorite sniper rifle. But it is time to make room on the equipment menu for a great submachine gun when plans go south. Those who revert to the SMG in emergency situations sometimes never go back because it's too effective and entertaining to dispense lead vengeance. So grab one of the best SMGs Night City has to offer and let the fun begin!
5 Problem Solver
Cyberpunk 2077 is a game of many layers. As V travels, there is so much to learn about. Gamers will find out about Judy Alvarez, find out about the Arasaka Corporation, and find out about various weaponry. Yet finding out about the Problem Solver might not be the most delightful discovery that players make. Somehow, this iconic weapon was never given an iconic effect by the game designers.
It might be an accident and the gun will be given an upgrade in the future. Or maybe somebody was playing a joke. It's not like the gun is terrible, with some of the best Ripperdoc upgrades, players can wield this weapon and still feel like a champ. There is a bleed effect chance on this gun which is nice, but even common weapons have this effect. It's good enough in terms of damage, but those looking to carry an SMG as a primary weapon will want to look at one of the others on this list.
4 Yinglong
Enemies aren't going to line up for easy kills, which is really why the SMG is a tough, though rewarding, weapon to master. It's all too common to unload a clip at an enemy and have all of the bullets hit the concrete walls behind them, the floors beneath them, the rusty billboards in front of them, and somehow not a single bullet has landed on the target. Whether doing all the NCPD gigs or tracking down all of the hidden gems in Wellsprings, it would be nice to have some better assurance of accuracy.
The Yinglong does all of that. Smart technology makes it so the gun does not miss so long as the target is in front of V. For an SMG, that's an overpowered advantage that no pistol, sniper rifle, or even shotgun can take advantage of to this extreme degree. The electrical damage shocks and stuns enemies with a dependable frequency and the EMP chance is devastating to cyberpsychos and bosses. While this weapon is great against all targets, it shines best against robotic units, dealing additional damage and wiping them off the map completely.
3 Prototype Shingen: Mark V
Call it an embarrassment of riches to get two smart SMGs in the same game. Just like the Yinglong, the Prototype: Shingen Mark V won't miss so long as the enemy is in front. Enemies can try to jump all around and stop V from acquiring all of the hidden Gem locations in the Downtown area, but it'll do them no good. It's truly down to a matter of opinion and experience when debating to use this or the Yinglong.
The damage on this weapon is a little bit lower, but the rounds it fires are explosive, so organic targets might have to hold on to their limbs a little bit tighter if they want to survive an encounter against the Prototype: Shingen Mark V. This one is also better against groups of targets because the iconic effect aims for up to three enemies at once. Regardless, V will be wiping out gangs and taking their cash with ease, so affording the priciest cars in the game shouldn't be a big deal.
2 Buzzsaw
Some situations, like figuring out the Happy Together quest, require guidance, care, and a sound mind. For every other situation, there's the Buzzsaw. It's important to note that one mod slot has already been filled when acquiring this weapon, but that's a perk, not a disadvantage. The unique mod allows bullets to penetrate objects, which is absolutely brilliant for SMGs and turns enemies that duck behind cover into sitting ducks.
Additionally, this SMG is a power weapon, which rivals the smart weapon in terms of making it so that "missed" bullets don't actually miss. Face it, SMGs are a spray-and-pray gun, but any way to increase the "spray" and decrease the "pray" will be a welcome upgrade. Bullets from power weapons like this will ricochet and have another chance to hit their targets. If V isn't in the mood to play games and try to lure enemies out of cover, this is the go-to weapon.
1 Fenrir
With so many of the combat choices coming down to personal preference, it's hard to say that the best was saved for last. But for the community of gamers that have nearly declared a consensus that the Fenrir is the greatest SMG, it's equally hard to say that this last gun shouldn't be the first selection in any player's inventory. It starts with the damage, which is the highest in the game for SMGs, and it only gets better from there.
Those who are collecting all the hidden gems in Red Peaks will find very little resistance with the Fenrir unholstered. Organic units are in a particular amount of trouble as the thermal rounds and the burn effects will be applied with regularity due to the high fire rate from the gun. The higher recoil is supposed to be a penalty, but because the bullet spread is reduced, the Fenrir suddenly gains a surprising amount of accuracy. And for the rarely missed shots, this is a power weapon as well, so don't sweat it.