Apex Best Weapons Season 31: Tier List and Meta Changes

The best weapons in Apex Legends Season 31 are the R-301 Carbine, C.A.R. SMG and Nemesis Burst AR. In Respawn's own data from early October, those three sat just behind the Prowler in share of downs and encounter win rate, and the Season 31 patch nerfed the Prowler and only lightly touched the Nemesis. The new Akimbo Wingman and the returning Hemlok Burst AR are the two weapons most likely to shift the meta as the season settles. This tier list covers every major floor weapon, the reasoning behind each tier, all Season 31 weapon changes, the Care Package and Stronghold weapons, and the best loadout pairings.

Checked against the official Apex Legends: Cipher patch notes, the Cipher Designer's Notes and the Season 30 patch notes on November 12, 2026.

Respawn does not publish a tier list. Top tiers here are based on Respawn's usage data chart and the Season 30 and 31 balance changes; weapons Respawn neither charted nor changed are placed using the last full press tier list (Season 29), so treat those placements as less certain.

What are the best weapons in Apex Legends Season 31?

S tier is the R-301, C.A.R. and Nemesis. The Prowler drops to A tier after its nerf but is still strong, and the new Akimbo Wingman and Hemlok Burst join it there.

Tier	Weapons	Basis
S	R-301 Carbine, C.A.R. SMG, Nemesis Burst AR	Top performers in Respawn's data; R-301 and C.A.R. untouched, Nemesis only gets more vertical recoil
A	Prowler Burst PDW, Akimbo Wingman, Hemlok Burst AR, Volt SMG, Devotion LMG	Prowler led the data before its nerf; new and returning weapons with high ceilings; Volt and Devotion were S tier in the last press list
B	R-99, Alternator, RE-45, P2020, EVA-8 Auto, Peacekeeper, VK-47 Flatline, Triple Take, Sentinel, Mozambique	Nerfed in Season 30 (R-99, Alternator, RE-45), reworked in Season 31 (EVA-8, Peacekeeper), buffed (Triple Take) or mid-pack in the last press list
C	L-STAR EMG, G7 Scout, Bocek, Charge Rifle, HAVOC, M600 Spitfire, Rampage, Mastiff, Longbow	Heavy nerfs, low usage in Respawn's data despite buffs, or low in the last press list
Care Package	Akimbo Mozambique	New to the crate rotation in Season 31

Why are the R-301, C.A.R. and Nemesis the top picks?

Respawn's Cipher Designer's Notes include a chart of share of downs and encounter win rate in Ranked and Trios from October 1 to 7, 2026. The Prowler was highest on both, the C.A.R. and Nemesis came next, then the R-301.

• Prowler and Nemesis: Respawn said both had been climbing steadily in usage and win rate all season and nerfed them to bring them back in line. The Prowler took the bigger hit.
• C.A.R. SMG: no stat changes in Season 30 or 31, and it ranked second in the chart. With the R-99 nerfed to 12 damage in Season 30, the C.A.R. is the most reliable SMG.
• R-301: no changes listed in Season 30 or 31, and it ranked fourth. Its easy recoil makes it the safest rifle for most players.
• Low performers: the Bocek, G7 Scout and Peacekeeper were at the bottom of the chart in both measures.

Respawn's notes also describe "the rise of the Prowler, the fall of the R-99, the slow climb of the Nemesis" over the previous season, which matches the tiers above.

What weapons changed in Apex Season 31?

Season 31 added one weapon, rotated the Hemlok, nerfed the Prowler, Nemesis and L-STAR, and reworked the Peacekeeper and EVA-8.

Weapon	Change
Akimbo Wingman (new)	Wingman now uses Heavy Ammo and Heavy Magazines; base damage 50 to 45. Looting a second Wingman enters Akimbo mode: 1.25x headshots (56 damage), slightly faster fire rate, double magazine, longer reload, more recoil
Hemlok	Breach AR (Elite) removed from all modes; Hemlok Burst AR returns with Burst and Single modes, 21 body and 29 head damage
Prowler Burst PDW	More recoil to reduce range effectiveness; Selectfire Hop-Up removed
Nemesis Burst AR	Vertical recoil increased
L-STAR EMG	Back to floor loot: damage 21 to 19, shots to overheat 28 to 22, stockpile 168 to 88, recharge 22s to 18s, Redline removed
Peacekeeper	Higher rate of fire; Shotgun Bolts now improve rechamber and fire rate
EVA-8 Auto	Double Tap Trigger removed; Disruptor Rounds added as a locked Hop-Up (375 points to unlock)
Rapid Sniper Stock (Corrupted)	Fire rate multiplier 1.2x to 1.1x on G7 Scout, Longbow and Triple Take

All burst weapons (Prowler, Hemlok Burst, Nemesis Burst and Akimbo Wingman) now support tap-fire queuing, and holding the trigger fires the next burst automatically on the Hemlok and the Akimbo Wingman.

Is the Akimbo Wingman good?

It is a strong mid-range pick for accurate players, but it is not a replacement for an SMG up close. Respawn designed it to keep the Wingman's high-skill, mid-range poke identity while making it less intimidating to use.

Because the Wingman moved from Sniper to Heavy Ammo and Heavy Magazines, it is easier to keep fed than before, since you no longer need a separate ammo type just for it. In Akimbo mode, both revolvers fire one after the other with each trigger pull, which Respawn calls its first burst-style akimbo weapon. Headshots drop to 1.25x in Akimbo mode, so body damage and magazine size carry its damage instead of single big headshots. You find it in ground loot and Heavy Ammo Arsenals; picking up a second Wingman switches to Akimbo automatically.

What are the Care Package and Stronghold weapons in Season 31?

The Akimbo Mozambique joined the Care Package rotation, and the new Strongholds are the most reliable source of top-tier weapons in a match.

• Akimbo Mozambique: 18 damage per pellet (up from 17), a tighter blast pattern and slower reload. It comes with the Executioner Hop-Up, which heals 15 shields per second, and a stockpile of 80 (40 per gun), or 110 in Wildcard.
• Strongholds: each holds 1 Care Package weapon, 3 Gold guns, 3 Amps and 2 Corrupted Attachments. One drops during Round 2 closing. Opening it takes time and sets off an alarm that reveals your position.
• Corrupted Attachments: a rarity added in Season 30 that gives a bonus and a drawback, limited to one per weapon. Examples include the Headseeker Barrel (more headshot damage, worse hip-fire) and the Overflowing Magazine (larger than purple, slower reload).

Ranked players should plan rotations around Strongholds; the Season 31 ranked guide covers capture rules and Legend bans.

What changed for weapons in Season 30?

Several Season 30 changes still shape the Season 31 meta, especially the SMG nerfs and the energy ammo rework.

• SMG and pistol nerfs: R-99 damage 13 to 12, Alternator 19 to 18 with smaller magazines, RE-45 17 to 16.
• Energy ammo rework: energy ammo boxes were removed; energy weapons now have a regenerating stockpile, refilling one magazine every 18 seconds when you are not shooting or reloading. The HAVOC, Nemesis and Devotion hold three magazines, the L-STAR four, and the RE-45, Volt and Triple Take two.
• G7 Scout: back on the floor with 33 damage (from 37), lower fire rate and no sniper optics.
• Midseason buffs: Triple Take blue magazine 8 to 9 with faster ADS fire rate, Bocek stockpile 40 to 60, and Charge Rifle damage at maximum distance 99 to 110.
• Gold weapons: the gold rotation was removed, gold weapons no longer come with gold attachments, and gold weapons without a Hop-Up now get Accelerator.

What is the best loadout in Apex Season 31?

Pair a mid-range weapon with a close-range SMG or shotgun so you are never caught with the wrong gun.

Loadout	Why it works
R-301 + C.A.R.	Two S tier guns that cover every range
Nemesis + C.A.R.	The Nemesis's regenerating energy stockpile means less looting for ammo
Akimbo Wingman + C.A.R.	The Wingman pokes at mid range, the C.A.R. finishes up close
Hemlok Burst + Prowler	Burst-fire pair for players who prefer tap-firing
R-301 + Peacekeeper	Rifle plus the buffed Peacekeeper for close fights

For everything else in the season, including the Crypto rework and the new Strongholds, see the Season 31 update article and the Apex Legends hub.

Related guides

• Apex Legends Season 31 ranked: bans, Strongholds, maps
• Apex Legends Season 31 'Cipher' is live
• Apex Legends game hub