As of July 2026, Once Human's meta is defined by its 2nd Anniversary 'Dreamy Maelstrom' update (v3.0.1, July 9), which added the QBJ97 - Fiery Trees and Silver Flowers and SN700 - Finale blueprints plus RaidFest and Rift Space event content. Roughly 90% of play is PvE, so the top picks favor sustained DPS and boss-melting: Shrapnel (SOCR - The Last Valor) remains the dominant build, with weakspot-sniper (AWS.338 - Bullseye) and Power Surge SMG (MPS7 - Outer Space) close behind. On the deviant side, Lonewolf's Whisper and Butterfly's Emissary anchor almost every offensive build.
How we rank Once Human weapons
A Once Human weapon's rank is inseparable from the build and mods it anchors, and from whether you play PvE (the vast majority of content) or PvP. Most top weapons are calibration-blueprint guns whose special effect powers a build archetype - Shrapnel (SOCR), Bull's Eye / weakspot (AWS.338, DE.50 Wildfire), Power Surge (MPS7 Outer Space), Unstable Bomber (DE.50 Jaws, strong in PvP), Fast Gunslinging (Dual Fury), or Burn (ACS12 Corrosion). Read tiers as the ceiling when built correctly. Reflects the 2nd Anniversary 'Dreamy Maelstrom' update, Version 3.0.1 (July 9, 2026). Once Human is a live seasonal game and balance shifts between scenarios; treat the newest blueprints (QBJ97 - Fiery Trees and Silver Flowers, SN700 - Finale) as too new for a settled ranking.
Best right now (quick answer)
Top weapons: SOCR - The Last Valor, AWS.338 - Bullseye, MPS7 - Outer Space. Top deviants: Lonewolf's Whisper, Butterfly's Emissary. Full breakdown below.
Once Human weapon tier list
| Tier | Weapon | Type | Build | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S+ | AWS.338 - Bullseye | Sniper | Bull's Eye / Weakspot | ~70% chance to mark weakspots for vulnerability makes it the best single-target and boss sniper. |
| S+ | MPS7 - Outer Space | SMG | Power Surge | 25% Power Surge trigger with reload/kill bonuses gives it the fastest close-range PvE clears. |
| S+ | SOCR - The Last Valor | AR | Shrapnel | The Shrapnel trigger multiplies with its high fire rate, making it the dominant all-round PvE damage dealer. |
| S | ACS12 - Corrosion | Shotgun | Burn / DoT | Automatic corrosive shotgun that shreds high-HP enemies over time. |
| S | DE.50 - Jaws | Pistol | Unstable Bomber | Explosion every few shots; a top pick for PvP duels and burst pressure. |
| S | DE.50 - Wildfire | Pistol | Bull's Eye / Weakspot | Very high Bull's Eye chance that synergizes with Old Huntsman Boots for burst weakspot damage. |
| S | SOCR - Outsider | AR | Versatile / Shrapnel-adjacent | Reliable mid-to-close AR, the strongest alternative to The Last Valor. |
| A | AWS.338 - Black Panther | Sniper | Long-range | Strong sniper alternative that lacks only the extreme precision of Bullseye. |
| A | DB12 - Raining Cash | Shotgun | Wide-area spread | Unique spread pattern for area close-range damage. |
| A | DBSG - Doombringer | Shotgun | Close-quarters burst | Excellent burst damage in tight close-range engagements. |
| A | Dual Fury | Pistol | Fast Gunslinging | High mobility and fire rate build that wins through agility and uptime. |
| A | MG4 - Predator | LMG | Sustained fire / Crowd control | Best LMG for suppressing and clearing large mob groups. |
| A | QBJ97 - Fiery Trees and Silver Flowers | AR | Anniversary blueprint | New 2nd-Anniversary AR blueprint; promising but too new for a settled tier placement. |
| A | SN700 - Finale | Sniper | Anniversary blueprint | New 2nd-Anniversary sniper blueprint; strong on paper but meta impact is still unproven. |
| B | Baseball Bat | Melee | Early game / melee | Strong no-ammo early-game option that also reduces enemy damage on hit. |
| B | DB12 - Backfire | Shotgun | Close-quarters | Similar to Raining Cash with slightly lower damage. |
| B | HAMR - Brahminy | AR | Mid-range general | Reliable but unspecialized mid-range rifle. |
| B | KAM - Crank | AR | Mid-range | Solid mid-range rifle without a standout niche. |
| B | KV-SBR - Little Jaws | AR | Short-barrel rifle | Decent firepower, less versatile than the SOCR series. |
| B | KVD - Boom! Boom! | Grenade Launcher | Area denial / AoE | Strong AoE clearing but awkward in confined spaces. |
| B | MG4 - Mr. Squid | LMG | Sustained fire | Usable suppression LMG with lower accuracy than Predator. |
| B | MPS5 - Kumawink | SMG | Close-quarters | Good mobility but lower damage than the MPS7 variants. |
| B | R500 - Memento | Pistol | Revolver / single shots | Solid per-shot damage held back by slower handling. |
| B | Recurve Crossbow | Crossbow | Silent elimination | Effective stealth pick, limited by slow reload and lower damage. |
| B | S870 - Sandstorm | Shotgun | Pump-action close-range | Solid close-range damage, outclassed by automatic shotguns. |
| B | SN700 - Gulped Lore | Sniper | Long-range | Decent long-range option lacking Bullseye's punch. |
Once Human deviant tier list
Deviants split into Combat deviants (that fight or buff alongside you) and Territory deviants (that gather resources, craft, cook, or automate your base), plus a few Gadget/Support utility ones. For endgame power you slot a combat deviant that matches your weapon build; territory deviants are ranked on how much they speed up farming and base upkeep rather than raw DPS.
| Tier | Deviant | Role | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| S+ | Butterfly's Emissary | Combat | Auto-marks enemy weakspots to amplify damage, a near-universal DPS boost for weakspot builds. |
| S+ | Lonewolf's Whisper | Combat | The best offensive combat deviant and best-in-slot for Shrapnel; locks onto enemies, applies Bull's Eye, and provides AoE control. |
| S | Chefosaurus Rex | Territory (cooking) | Boosts food production and grants health and sanity buffs, a staple base deviant. |
| S | Dr. Teddy | Support / Combat | Top PvP combat deviant; heals and revives allies for sustained fights. |
| S | Festering Gel | Combat / Support | The best defensive combat deviant; recovers HP and Sanity while blocking attacks, key for Pro-mode bosses. |
| S | Polar Jelly | Combat | PvE best-in-slot for the S-tier Frost Vortex build, though niche to that build. |
| A | Electric Eel | Combat | High-voltage damage with stun effects to lock down enemies. |
| A | Frog the Leaper | Gadget / Utility | Provides fishing bait and increased jump height for exploration. |
| A | H37 | Territory (gathering) | Gathers rare materials and helps obtain higher-rank resources. |
| A | Mr. Wish | Combat | One of the highest raw-damage combat deviants for offensive setups. |
| A | Pyro Dino | Combat | Best-in-slot for the Burn build, strong for all content but a tier under the meta builds. |
| A | The Digby Boy | Territory (gathering) | Speeds up resource farming by hauling items from nodes to base. |
| B | Buzzy Bee | Territory (gathering) | Gathers honey and resources for cooking and buffs. |
| B | By the Wind | Combat | Serviceable combat deviant but outclassed by S-tier picks. |
| B | Dreamcatcher | Support | Provides sanity and utility support in a support role. |
| B | Enchanting Void | Support / Utility | Niche utility deviant, situationally useful outside top builds. |
| B | Fetch-a-lot Bunny | Territory (gathering) | Automates fetching and hauling of gathered materials. |
| B | Logging Beaver | Territory (gathering) | Passively gathers logs and helps speed up construction. |
| B | Nutcracker | Territory (crafting) | Useful crafting/processing helper for base automation. |
| C | Gingerbread House | Territory | Minor base utility with limited impact. |
| C | Grumpy Bulb | Utility | Niche collectible-tier deviant. |
| C | Lava Fox | Utility | Low-impact deviant kept mainly for collection. |
Best builds
- Shrapnel — SOCR - The Last Valor (+ Lonewolf's Whisper) (The dominant all-round PvE build; melts mobs and bosses across all ranges.)
- Weakspot / Bull's Eye — AWS.338 - Bullseye, DE.50 - Wildfire (+ Butterfly's Emissary) (PvE boss and single-target burst; stacks weakspot vulnerability for huge crits.)
- Power Surge — MPS7 - Outer Space (Fast close-range PvE mob clearing with high sustained SMG DPS.)
- Frost Vortex — Frost weapons (+ Polar Jelly) (S-tier PvE crowd-control build that freezes and shreds packed groups.)
- Unstable Bomber — DE.50 - Jaws (Top PvP burst build; explosion procs punish players in duels and small-scale fights.)
Once Human tier list FAQ
What is the best weapon in Once Human in 2026?
For PvE, SOCR - The Last Valor is the top overall pick because its Shrapnel effect scales with fire rate for elite DPS across all ranges. For single-target and boss damage, AWS.338 - Bullseye is the best sniper. Because ~90% of the game is PvE, these two dominate most tier lists.
What is the best combat deviant in Once Human?
Lonewolf's Whisper is widely rated the best offensive combat deviant and is best-in-slot for the meta Shrapnel build, thanks to its Bull's Eye application and AoE control. Butterfly's Emissary is the other near-universal pick because it auto-marks weakspots. For defense, Festering Gel is the top choice.
What is the best F2P or early-game weapon?
The Baseball Bat is a standout early-game option: it deals high damage, needs no ammo, and reduces incoming enemy damage on hit. The SN700 sniper is also a strong, accessible single-target pick before you unlock calibration-blueprint guns.
What is the best build for PvE in Once Human?
Shrapnel (SOCR - The Last Valor with Lonewolf's Whisper) is the strongest all-round PvE build for mobs and bosses. Weakspot builds around AWS.338 - Bullseye and Butterfly's Emissary excel at single-target and boss damage, and Frost Vortex with Polar Jelly is an S-tier crowd-control alternative.
What is the best build for PvP in Once Human?
Unstable Bomber, built around DE.50 - Jaws, is a top PvP pick because its recurring explosion damage punishes opponents in duels. Fast Gunslinging with Dual Fury is another strong PvP option that relies on mobility and fire-rate uptime, and Dr. Teddy is the go-to PvP support deviant.
How do the tiers work in a Once Human tier list?
Tiers rank a weapon or deviant by its ceiling when paired with the right build and mods, primarily for PvE since that is most of the game. A weapon's rank is inseparable from its supporting build (Shrapnel, Weakspot, Power Surge, Burn, etc.), so an off-meta gun on its ideal build can outperform an S-tier gun with the wrong setup. Rankings also shift each season, so treat brand-new blueprints as unsettled.