In Dying Light 2, you are thrown into one of the last remaining human settlements in a world where the Harran Virus rules. In each section of The City, there are various factions of people that bicker and constantly live on the verge of civil war. On top of that, there are tons of infected that lurk in the shadows and in dark buildings, waiting to come out at night.
It's fair to say that there are a lot of threats that you need to navigate as you progress through the story. Sometimes the threat will be obvious, but sometimes the threat will come from the most unexpected place. This is why it's always useful to make sure you have weapons on you that will help you defend yourself.
In this guide, we're going to walk you through everything you need to know about Dying Light 2 weapons. This includes the weapon types, weapon tiers, how to get them, and how to upgrade them.
Best Weapon Types
There are several weapon types that you can get in the game. We've listed each type below and we've included our favourite weapon from that type.
Long Axe and Axe
Hi-Tech
This artifact 1H axe packs a serious punch without any upgrades. At its base level, it does 80 damage and has 210 durability. You get +23% stamina regeneration on a power attack, +17% power attack damage, and you get a 6% health regeneration on quick attacks. It has four modification slots (which is the maximum for any weapon). This means you can modify this weapon to make it extremely powerful. We recommend using elemental modifications where you can.
Long Mace and Mace
Torch
You can pick this weapon up midway through the "Broadcast" story mission. It does 64 damage and has 174 durability at its base level. The weapon has three modification slots. These are for a Tip Mode, Shaft Mod, and a Charm. It gives you a 9% stamina regeneration if you use a quick attack and it gives you an 8% stamina boost when your stamina is low.
Machete
Khukri
You can find this weapon on the "Broadcast" story mission. It does 74 damage and has 174 durability at its base level. It has three modification slots, one for a Tip mod, one for a Shaft mod, and another for a Charm. This weapon bases its attacks on slashing at your enemies. It deals a lot of damage very quickly and is useful in cutting off the legs of Infected so they cannot catch up to you.
Bow
Nails
You can pick this Bow up later in the game on a story quest in Old Villedor. Now, this Bow cannot be modified but the sheer amount of damage it can do makes it one of the best we've found. It does 110 damage with each shot and this makes it extremely useful for battling powerful enemies while staying at a safe distance.
Ranged Weapon
The Boom Stick
This weapon is a handmade shotgun that can only be used once. You unlock the blueprints for this weapon after completing the "Renegades" side quest in the Central Loop. You can then purchase the blueprints from any Craftsmaster and craft it for 100 Scraps. It does a lot of damage but can only be used once, so use it wisely.
Opportunity Weapons
Spears
Spears are a one-use handheld weapon that can be used to impale enemies. They are extremely useful against powerful infected such as Revenants. Spears can be thrown at enemies that are close to you or enemies that are quite a distance from you. This weapon will inflict a lot of damage to an enemy and, if you're close enough, it will kill them instantly.
Tools
UV Flashlight.
You are given this flashlight by Meyer at the PK HQ ship. This happens after you speak to Jack Matt and learn about the mission to take control of the radio tower. This flashlight is unbreakable and can be used to fight the infected. You hold it up to the infected and they will eventually curl up on the ground. This will leave them vulnerable to attacks. Also, it's a good way of controlling large herds of infected or vicious ones like Volatiles.
Best Weapon Tiers
There are several different tiers of weapons that you can find around The City or craft with the resources you've scavenged. We've listed the weapon tiers below from strongest to weakest and explained a bit about each one.
- Artifact Weapons: This tier of weapon is usually the strongest but hardest to find. When you check your weapons in your inventory, artifact weapons often have a gold line below the weapon name. A typical artifact weapon will deal a lot of damage and it will be highly durable. These weapons can sometimes be modified and can have up to three modification slots.
- Unique Weapons: Unique weapons are typically the second most dangerous in the game. They are slightly easier to find than artifact weapons and you are most likely to find them by using your lockpicks to break into locked crates. They tend to do a fair amount of damage but are slightly less durable than artifact weapons.
The tiers above are very hard to find when you first start the game in Old Villedor. You may have to wait until you get to The Central Loop before you can get your hands on any.
- Uncommon Weapons: Uncommon weapons can be found wedged into pieces of wood on rooftops around The City or when enemies drop them. However, they can have uneven statistics. An uncommon weapon may do a lot of damage but have a very low durability rating.
- Common Weapons: These are by far the easiest weapons to find in the game. They are scattered almost everywhere in The City and you stumble across a lot of them during story missions. However, common weapons do not do a lot of damage and they have low durability. That being said, they're still useful to find and use if you don't want to waste your high-ranking weapons on basic battles.
How to Get Weapons
Rooftops
The easiest way to get weapons is to pick them up when you spot them on rooftops. Across The City (especially in Old Villedor) there are rooftop groves where you can collect Resin, Flowers, and Honey. You can often find a weapon lodged into a tree stump somewhere in these groves.
Steal
When you battle a human enemy they may drop their weapon once they are dead. You can choose to steal their weapon and add it to your collection if want it. This is a useful way of gaining good-quality weapons in the early stages of the game. Also, you can find metal spears embedded in bodies so keep an eye out for them.
Craft
Blueprints are a big part of Dying Light 2. When you unlock a blueprint you can purchase it from a Craftsmaster. This will then give you the ability to craft your chosen item if you have the correct resources. You can do this for the Boom Stick, a powerful one-use weapon and the closest the game gets to a firearm. Also, learning to craft weapons and ammunition will make it easier for you to get them out in the field.
Rewards
Sometimes, there are weapons that you just cannot get unless they are given to you as a reward or their blueprints are given as a reward. An example of this is the UV Torch. You are only given this after agreeing to help Jack Matt and the PK's take back the radio tower in the Central Loop. This is often how you get the most powerful weapons and the most useful blueprints for a weapon.
- Learn more: Dying Light 2: How Long to Beat
How to Upgrade Weapons
To upgrade a weapon that you own, you need modifications. You can get blueprints to craft modifications from Craftmasters.
Not all weapons can be upgraded as only some have modification slots. You can check if your weapon has one by hovering over it in your inventory menu. A small sub-menu should appear with a description of the weapon. At the bottom of the menu, there should be an empty box (or boxes) with a plus sign in them. If it has this, it means the weapon can be upgraded.
Press your prompted control to modify the weapon (it can be found underneath the modification slots). When you do this, you will be taken to another menu that shows you all of the modification options you have for that specific weapon. There are four modification slots you can have on a single weapon:
- Tip - You can use a Tip Mod here. This will add an elemental effect to your weapon such as Shock.
- Shaft - This is where you use Shaft Mods. This also adds an elemental effect to your weapon.
- Grip - You can use Grip Mods in this section. Typically, Grip Mods enhance the abilities that the weapon already has.
- Charm - This mod slot uses Charms and this lets you change the appearance of your weapon.
You can upgrade your weapon mods by visiting a Craftsmaster. You can find these at the big safe zone bases such as the Bazaar in Old Villedor and the PK HQ Ship in The Central Loop. When you are inside a safe zone, the nearest Craftmaster will be marked with a symbol of some tools. When you talk to the Craftmaster, you should see an "Upgrade" tab at the top of your screen. Switch to this and you will be able to see what modifications and tools can be upgraded. You will need to use your judgment to decide what weapons to use against each enemy in Dying Light 2.
If you want to take a look at some of the things you will be fighting, take a look at our guide on all of the monsters confirmed so far. Also, decisions are important in the game. Therefore, you might want to take a look at our guide explaining choices and consequences.