Empulse Meta Weapons Tier List: Best Guns Ranked for Early Access
Empulse is a new, fast-paced first-person shooter now heading into Early Access. It leans on Titanfall-style movement and pulls in a bit of Splitgate energy, making it a standout option if you like shooters that reward mobility and momentum. Below is a meta weapon ranking that goes through Empulse gun-by-gun, from the top picks like the Resonance to the weaker choices such as the Volta.
Quick facts
- Empulse launches into Early Access as a fast-action FPS.
- Gameplay is built around Titanfall-like movement and a Splitgate-like feel.
- 1047 Games (the studio behind Splitgate) announced Empulse.
1047 Games, best known for the shooter Splitgate, has announced Empulse: a first-person shooter inspired by Titanfall and designed around aggressive, movement-driven combat.
S-Tier Weapons
The Best Meta Weapons in Empulse
The Carbine is a semi-automatic option that’s “shredding” in the current meta. It fires fast for a semi-auto weapon and brings strong damage numbers—30 base damage with 40 headshot damage. It’s ideal for long sightlines and reliable tag damage, but you’ll need solid accuracy to get the most out of it.
The pump-action Shotgun is easily the best close-range weapon in Empulse. It’s one of only two guns that can deliver a one-shot kill, with a maximum damage of 105 to either the body or the head. If you prefer to push hard and finish fights quickly, it’s a great fit, though it suffers from limited range right out of the gate.
The SMG standing at the top right now is the one with a rapid fire rate that supports a fast time-to-kill, plus a large default magazine of 45 rounds. Its spread is fairly tight as well, and while it can be refined further with the right setup, it’s already strong enough to be a go-to for consistent close-to-mid fights.
A-Tier Weapons
Top Tier Weapons in Empulse
The Modulator is the best comparison point for this slot. It trades a slightly higher damage per shot for a slower fire rate and a smaller magazine, but it’s still one of the best all-round weapons in Empulse. If you want something that stays useful across most engagement distances, this is the kind of gun you can default to.
The Compressor AR is followed by a weapon that deals slightly less damage, but makes up for it with a higher fire rate. It also comes with a 40-round default magazine. Overall, it’s described as fast and aggressive, and it particularly shines both at close quarters and at medium range.
Next up is a twin-barrel LMG that focuses on high DPS through a high fire rate, balanced by a lower average damage level. It carries a large magazine and stays reliable around medium distances. It also has minimal impact on movement speed, which helps it stay usable in a game where positioning matters.
B-Tier Weapons
Niche Weapons in Empulse
The Requiem-style three-burst Assault Rifle can kill in as little as two burst shots, but it comes with a strict condition: you must land all three shots in the burst to deliver the top damage. If you can keep your burst accuracy consistent, it becomes a strong option for players who want a more controlled rhythm.
The bolt-action sniper rifle, Requiem, is capable of one-shot headshot kills. In practice, though, body hits often demand a follow-up shot, and in a fast-paced game like Empulse, that slows your pace enough to limit its overall potential compared to higher-tier picks.
Percussion is the second SMG in the game and includes a standout gimmick: it fires explosive rounds that provide splash damage. It’s particularly effective against players who are wall running or fighting from enclosed spaces. Even so, it doesn’t stack up as well as the other weapons that dominate the current meta.
Then there’s the default Melee weapon. As with standard melee, it can eliminate other players in just two hits, but it also attacks noticeably faster than the standard melee option. That speed difference is what keeps it from feeling strictly inferior.
C-Tier Weapons
Empulse Weapons You Should Probably Avoid
The pistol here hits hard and can deliver a reliable three-shot kill, but its downsides are clear. Its fire rate is fairly slow, it depends heavily on accuracy, and it has a small kick when you fire quickly. In a game where consistency matters, those traits make it a tough recommendation.
The final option is an assault rifle that fires homing projectiles. Despite the tracking gimmick, it ends up with low damage, and the homing rounds aren’t particularly effective. Because of that combination, it’s best left alone if you’re trying to win fights efficiently.
