The best weapons in Dying Light 2 Stay Human are high-rarity melee weapons with the right mods and affixes, backed up by the PK Crossbow and, since the February 2024 Firearms Update, the Golden firearms you buy from Jai. Because melee weapons drop at random and scale with your gear level, there is no single named sword that beats everything; the winning move is knowing which rarity, slots and ranged tools to chase. This breakdown reflects the game as of November 2026, after Update 1.30.
We checked this against Techland's Firearms Update, New Game+ and Tower Raid patch notes on Steam, the Dying Light Fandom wiki's weapon, firearm, affix and mod tables, and the Update 1.30 notes from October 2026.
How Weapons Work in Dying Light 2
Every weapon in Dying Light 2 falls into one of seven rarities, from lowest to highest: Common, Uncommon, Rare, Unique, Artifact, Legendary and Exotic. Melee weapons come in blunt and slashing families, and the type tag matters more than the name. One-handed weapons carry "1H" in their type, while two-handed weapons are labeled "2H", "Long" or "Knuckledusters". The wiki notes that Long weapons swing at roughly one-handed speed but scale with two-handed bonuses, which makes them a quiet favorite for players running two-handed gear.
Rarity decides how many affixes a melee weapon can roll. Affixes are bonus stats such as extra damage against Infected, extra damage at night, power-attack damage or stamina regeneration on hits. The wiki's table gives the count per rarity:
- Common and Uncommon: no affixes.
- Rare: one affix. Unique: two. Artifact: three.
- Legendary: four, the maximum for weapons.
The size of each bonus scales with gear level rather than rarity, and peaks at gear level 9. That has a practical consequence: a Rare weapon found late in the game can roll a bigger single bonus than an Artifact you picked up early. When you compare drops, read the affix values, not just the color of the name. Ranged weapons ignore affixes entirely, so their value comes from base damage and ammo.
Melee: Mods Matter More Than the Name
Most one-handed weapons and some two-handed ones accept weapon mods in three sockets: Tip, Shaft and Grip. Tip mods include Acid, Frost, Voltage, Slit, Spark, Flame, Fling and Venom; Shaft mods include Lightning, Bane, Slaughter, Avalanche and Inferno; and the Grip socket takes Empowerment, Reinforcement or Fire Slam. Some mods trigger on critical hits, while Blast mods charge over time and fire when you press both attack buttons together. Craftmasters sell most mods and upgrade them in exchange for Old World Money and Infected Trophies.
Two details make mods the core of a melee build. First, applying a mod increases the weapon's durability, so a modded weapon lasts longer before it breaks. Second, mods themselves can be upgraded at Craftmasters, so a mod you buy early keeps paying off as you move to stronger weapons. A sensible default is an elemental Tip for crowd control (shock or freeze) and a damage-over-time Shaft for single targets, then Reinforcement in the Grip on a weapon you plan to keep for a while.
- Daytime clearing: a two-handed or Long weapon with shock or freeze stuns groups and opens them to finishers.
- Night runs: a fast one-handed weapon with a night-damage affix keeps stamina free for running.
- Humans and bandit camps: look for the "Damage (vs humans)" affix and a bleed mod, since armored enemies take longer to break.
The Firearms Update Changed the Ranged Game
Dying Light 2 launched without guns. The Firearms Update (version 1.15) added them on 22 February 2024, alongside the Reloaded Edition, and introduced four types: pistols, SMGs, rifles and shotguns, each using its own ammo. Techland deliberately kept ammo rare, noting that bullets "don't grow on trees" and are mostly found in convoys and stashes around the world, so firearms work best as a panic button rather than a main weapon.
To get them, complete the side quest "Lost Armory" and meet Jai, the Watcher, at the Fish Eye. Finishing the quest gives you a Service Pistol, and Jai then sells the other firearms for Watcher Tokens as your reputation rank with him rises. Survivor Missions and Elite Missions, which can be played in co-op or solo, are the main way to earn those tokens. The wiki's firearm table lists what each gun requires:
| Firearm | Rarity | Magazine | How to get it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Pistol | Unique | 15 | Reward for completing Lost Armory |
| Golden Service Pistol | Artifact | 10 | Jai, rank 7 |
| Military Rifle | Unique | 30 | Jai, rank 3 |
| Golden Military Rifle | Artifact | 25 | Jai, rank 10 |
| Combat Shotgun | Unique | 8 | Jai, rank 3 |
| Golden Combat Shotgun | Artifact | 6 | Jai, rank 9 |
The Golden versions trade a smaller magazine for more damage per shot. In the wiki's test numbers, the Golden Combat Shotgun hits for 3,508 at maximum, well above the regular Combat Shotgun's 3,050, which makes it the best answer to a Volatile that has you cornered. The rifle is the better all-rounder thanks to its magazine size. The Harran Pistol was a limited reward for logging in before 7 March 2024, so it is no longer obtainable.
The PK Crossbow and Bows
Before firearms, the PK Crossbow was the strongest ranged option, and it is still one of the most useful items in the game because its ammo is craftable. You get it as part of the Crossbow Pack after assigning four facilities to the Peacekeepers. It holds a five-bolt magazine, does not use the usual weapon leveling, and instead scales with your player level up to a base of 994 damage. The pack also gives bolt blueprints, all of which cost 10 Scrap and one Feather plus an extra ingredient for the elemental types:
- Toxic Bolts: damage over time (one Cleaning Supplies).
- Freeze Bolts and Stun Bolts: immobilize the target.
- Impact Bolts: knock targets back.
- Lacerating Bolts: bleed damage over time.
Silent, renewable ranged damage is exactly what night runs need, which is why many players still carry the crossbow even with a shotgun in the other slot. Note the catch: the wiki says starting New Game+ removes the PK Crossbow and its bolt blueprints, and you have to earn them again by giving the Peacekeepers four facilities. If you lean Survivors instead, plan around firearms for ranged damage.
Legendary and Exotic Weapons: The Endgame Tiers
The top two rarities come from endgame systems rather than ordinary loot. New Game+, added in Update 1.3.0 on 27 April 2022, introduced the Legendary weapon tier along with gold encounters, special fights against tougher enemy groups that give you a chance at a Legendary drop. Legendary weapons are the ones with the full four affixes, so this is where a melee build peaks. Our Dying Light 2 New Game Plus guide explains how to unlock NG+ and what carries over.
Exotic weapons are rarer still. When Tower Raid debuted in Update 1.17, Techland said the Airdrop waiting on the roof holds a large amount of loot and an Exotic weapon. The wiki lists examples such as the Soul Harvester, a two-handed axe with 1,012 damage, 440 durability and room for three mods plus a charm. Tower Raid became a permanent mode in February 2025, launched from "Raid Hub" in the main menu with up to four players, so Exotic hunting is a natural fit for a regular co-op group.
Difficulty also affects loot quality. The Nightmare Mode update (1.16, April 2024) gives a higher chance of looting rare quality items, at the cost of no automatic health regeneration and weaker armor. If you already have a strong character, Nightmare is a reasonable place to farm upgrades.
Building a Loadout That Works
Put the pieces together and a strong all-purpose loadout for most of the game looks like this, adjusted to whichever weapons your drops give you:
- Main melee: the highest-rarity weapon of your preferred family at your current gear level, with a crowd-control Tip mod and a damage Shaft mod.
- Backup melee: a second weapon of a different damage type (blunt if your main is slashing) so armored humans and Infected are both covered.
- Silent ranged: the PK Crossbow with a stack of Freeze or Stun Bolts for emergencies at night.
- Loud ranged: a Golden Combat Shotgun or Military Rifle once Jai's ranks allow, saved for special Infected.
Your Nightrunner tools (the paraglider, grappling hook and UV flashlight among them) are a separate progression track from weapons, and Military Tech, which you pull from the Military Tech compartments of Military Airdrops with the GRE Access Key, feeds into it; our Military Tech locations guide covers where to find it. If you are still deciding how much time to commit, our Dying Light 2 length breakdown shows how long the story and the endgame take, and our Reloaded Edition explainer covers which version of the game includes the Firearms Update.
Skip the Weapon Grind
Hunting Legendary drops and leveling Jai's rank takes many hours. If you would rather start with a full arsenal, the Dying Light 2 All Modded Items in-game transfer covers every modded item category the page lists: weapons, clothing, gear, consumables and materials, with medkits, grenades and consumables in stacks up to 99. It is PS4 and PS5 only and works as a co-op drop: after checkout you send your PSN profile link, the store adds you as a friend, and the items are dropped on the ground while you are in the party, typically in a session of about 5 to 10 minutes.
No account login is needed, and you keep playing on your own profile. The store suggests contacting support before checkout to confirm same-day availability. Other services for Dying Light, Dying Light 2 and The Beast are listed on the Dying Light hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best weapon in Dying Light 2?
There is no single fixed best weapon, because melee drops scale with gear level and roll random affixes. A Legendary weapon with four strong affixes and good mods is the peak, with the Golden firearms and the PK Crossbow covering ranged damage.
How do you get guns in Dying Light 2?
Complete the side quest "Lost Armory" to get the Service Pistol and meet Jai at the Fish Eye, then buy more firearms from him with Watcher Tokens as your rank rises.
How do you get the PK Crossbow?
Assign four facilities to the Peacekeepers to unlock the Crossbow Pack, which includes the PK Crossbow and its bolt blueprints.
Where do you get Legendary weapons in Dying Light 2?
The Legendary tier was added with New Game+, where gold encounters give you a chance at a Legendary weapon. Exotic weapons can come from the Tower Raid rooftop Airdrop.
Can you still get the Harran Pistol?
No. The Harran Pistol was a free reward for players who logged in before 7 March 2024. The Service Pistol from Lost Armory and Jai's firearms are the current options.
Do weapons carry over to New Game Plus?
Yes, items and weapons carry over, except the Nightrunner tools. The wiki adds that the PK Crossbow and its bolt blueprints are removed and must be earned again.