Best weapons in Roblox RIVALS: guide and loadouts (October 2026)

RIVALS is an FPS shooter from Nosniy Games where the first player to win 5 rounds takes the match. You play duels from 1v1 up to 5v5, and the result depends a lot on a well-chosen set of weapons. This guide covers the state of the game after Update 23 from 18 September 2026.

How weapons work in RIVALS

According to the RIVALS wiki, the game has 53 weapons, including 5 that are only available in selected modes. They are split into four categories, and in every duel you get one weapon from each:

• Primary: your main weapon.
• Secondary: a backup weapon for when you run out of ammo or need to finish off an enemy quickly.
• Melee: a close combat weapon, often with a useful ability.
• Utility: grenades, medkits and other gadgets.

Weapons also come in three types: Standard, Prime and Contraband. Standard ones usually cost from around ten to a few dozen keys, while Prime and Contraband cost a lot more or come from bundles and the season pass.

At the start everyone gets the Assault Rifle, Handgun, Fists and Grenade for free. That is not a weak set at all.

Best primary weapons

Weapon rankings in RIVALS are always opinions, and the balance changes every few weeks. We rely on the fresh Timesaver tier list from 26 September 2026 and on the stats from the wiki.

Assault Rifle (free)

The safest choice and the weapon to start with. According to the wiki it has well balanced stats and works at any range, but you need to keep your crosshair on the enemy. Timesaver gives it S tier and calls it the safest primary weapon.

Sniper (75 keys)

The weapon with the highest skill ceiling. It deals 50 damage, and a headshot (150) kills in one hit. Since Update 22 it only fires semi-automatically. Downside: on tight maps and in 5v5 it is easy to get caught while scoped in.

Shotgun (20 keys)

The king of close range. Each shot fires 10 pellets, and the damage drops a lot with distance. It is cheap and deadly on small maps, but it loses to rifles in the open.

Permafrost (600 keys)

A Contraband weapon: a submachine gun that fires bursts of 2 bullets and slows down enemies it hits. In Update 22 the slow duration was increased from 0.75 to 1.5 seconds. It is S tier at Timesaver, but it costs a lot of keys.

Worth a look

• Burst Rifle (25 keys): a three-bullet burst, good for players who like to land a hit and take cover. Slightly nerfed in Update 22.
• Wildcat (35 keys): new in Update 22. The first weapon in the game with realistic recoil that you have to pull down with your mouse. It has two magazines taped together, so the first reload is very fast. In Update 23 it got a buff, because it performed worse at launch than the developers expected.
• Crossbow (35 keys): according to Timesaver, a more mobile alternative to the Sniper.

Best secondary weapons

• Exogun (350 keys): the wiki calls it one of the best backup weapons in the game. Its shots deal area damage, so you do not have to aim perfectly. They cannot be deflected by the Katana or stopped by the Riot Shield.
• Revolver (25 keys): slow but strong (30 damage). With the right mouse button you do a "fan shot", which empties the whole cylinder at once.
• Uzi (20 keys): a very fast rate of fire, works similarly to the Assault Rifle, but it has a bit of spread.
• Handgun (free): solid and versatile. It is more than enough at the start.

Best melee weapons

• Katana (45 keys): the Deflect ability briefly sends most bullets back at the shooter. Timesaver considers it the best melee weapon exactly because of this ability to block fire.
• Scythe (40 keys): its ability is a quick dash in any direction you are looking. Great for mobility and sudden attacks.
• Fists (free): good enough until you collect keys for something better.

Best utility

• Medkit (300 keys): a quick heal of 25 HP or a longer one of 70 HP over 6 seconds, with a 90 second cooldown. The healing is interrupted when you get hit or switch weapons.
• Flashbang (15 keys): blinds enemies, but be careful, because it can blind you and your team too.
• Molotov and Smoke Grenade: Timesaver treats them as support tools. Since Update 22 the Smoke Grenade cloud completely blocks the view, no matter what your graphics settings are.

Good news from Update 22: the equip time of most utility items was cut to 0.5 seconds, so grenades and gadgets are now much more convenient in fast fights.

Example loadouts

Timesaver recommends having two primary weapons and switching between them depending on the map. Based on that:

Playstyle	Primary	Secondary	Melee	Utility
Starter (free)	Assault Rifle	Handgun	Fists	Grenade
All-round	Assault Rifle	Revolver	Katana	Flashbang
Tight maps	Shotgun	Uzi	Scythe	Molotov
Open maps	Sniper	Exogun	Katana	Smoke Grenade

Where to get keys

Keys are the main currency in RIVALS. According to the keys wiki you can get them from:

• weapon and map contracts (playing with a given weapon or winning on a given map),
• daily quests,
• daily login rewards, added in Update 22,
• the Prize Wheel, which you can get from daily quests,
• creator codes, announced in update notes among other places.

You can also buy keys with Robux in the in-game shop, in bundles from the Key Bundle up to the Legendary Key Bundle.

Tips for beginners

1. Start with the free set. The Assault Rifle and Handgun are enough to learn the maps and aiming.
2. Spend your first keys on a weapon for a different situation. A Shotgun for small maps or a Sniper for big ones will complement the Assault Rifle.
3. Test before you buy. After Update 23 the developers let everyone use all weapons in every duel for 7 days. Chances like this happen during special updates, so it is worth using them.
4. Do not build your loadout around skins. Timesaver recommends choosing weapons for the map and your playstyle, and leaving looks for later.
5. Play fair. The game description on Roblox warns that cheaters get a permanent ban, and abusing bugs and suspicious farming methods is also forbidden.

You can also find weapon bundles and keys for RIVALS in the RIVALS section of DzikShop. All you need for delivery is your Roblox username, and never give anyone your password. We describe how to take care of your account in the guide on Roblox account security, and where Robux come from in the article what Robux are and how to get them.