It is 2026, and while the world debates flying cars and robot butlers, the real historians are looking back at the ancient texts—like the legendary Season 12 weapon tier lists from 2022. Back then, Mad Maggie was the new kid on the block, shoving shotguns in everyone’s faces, and the C.A.R. SMG was just starting its long reign of terror. Now, with years of hindsight, a player can’t help but chuckle at the eternal truths and forgotten underdogs of the Outlands’ arsenal. The meta has twisted and turned, but the soul of a bullet hose remains unchanged. Let's take a nostalgic, slightly sarcastic tour through the weapon hierarchy as it stood in the golden days of Season 12, from the god-tier cannons everyone fought over to the peashooters that were merely a stepping stone to something—anything—better.

In the hallowed S-Tier, the weapons were so powerful they practically aimed themselves (well, not really, but they made you look good). The C.A.R. SMG was the ultimate logistical flex, happily munching on both Light and Heavy ammo like a hungry, hungry hippo at a bullet buffet. Its time-to-kill was so short that opponents were back in the lobby before they realized the fight had started. Then came the Kraber, a care package deity that dealt a single, soul-crushing shot of damage. Unless you were a Gibraltar behind his arm shield—the one true counter to a .50-caliber existential crisis. The slow animations were the price to pay for godhood; you chambered a new round while contemplating your life choices. The Peacekeeper blurred the line between shotgun and mid-range menace. With its Precision Choke, it could deliver a concentrated blast of disrespect from a surprising distance. The Prowler and R-99 were the monsters of close-quarters, the former’s 5-round burst faster than a caffeinated octopus, while the latter was an infamous bullet hose that challenged your recoil control and your aim, all at once. The Volt, a blue-lasered beauty locked in the care package, was the energy-ammo king of consistent, zappy death, with almost no bullet drop to speak of.

A-Tier was the realm of the reliable workhorses and the 'almost-made-it' legends. The EVA-8 was a fully-automatic, no-nonsense shotgun that pulverized anyone within kissing distance, even if its dad-bod spread pattern didn’t change much when aiming down sights. The Flatline and R-301 Carbine were the poster children for reliability. The Flatline hit like a truck with a kick to match, while the R-301 was the smooth operator, so easy to control it was practically a laser pointer with an attitude. The Hemlok offered a burst-fire option that felt like a long-range scalpel, provided your trigger finger didn't get overwhelmed at close range. The Rampage LMG, even without a Revved-Up Thermite Grenade, was a menace at medium-to-long range, capable of shredding Evo Shields while its user enjoyed a leisurely cup of tea during the lengthy reload. The Spitfire, back in its care package prison, was the king of sustained chaos, a lead-hose that kept opponents pinned down and questioning their aggressive life choices. And then there was the Wingman. This ‘sidearm’ was a primary weapon for show-offs. Land your shots, and enemies crumbled; miss, and you were a sitting duck with a very slow, very embarrassing reload.

B-Tier was a colorful melting pot of 'situational perfection' and 'noble mediocrity'. The 30-30 Repeater was the hipster’s choice, a lever-action middle ground that charged up a deadly poking tool. It worked fine until a human blender like the R-99 got in its face. The Alternator was the responsible adult’s SMG—slower, less thrilling, but it wouldn't drain your ammo reserves in three seconds flat. The Bocek Compound Bow was a silent artist’s tool, rewarding headshots with devastating damage and misses with imminent doom. The Charge Rifle remained the only hitscan weapon in the game, a glowing beam of pure chip damage that announced to the entire map, “We are fighting over here.” The Devotion and HAVOC were the energy siblings with commitment issues, their spin-up times making them a high-risk, high-reward gamble. Unless you had a Turbocharger, you were essentially screaming “start shooting already!” at your gun. The L-STAR was a fascinating LMG-shotgun hybrid that sprayed glowing, slow-moving projectiles, allowing you to literally fill a hallway with hot plasma. Lastly, the G7 Scout, despite being a marksman’s delight, felt the curse of being locked in a care package with limited ammo, turning a versatile weapon into a precious, finite resource to be hoarded like dragon’s gold.

The C-Tier saw weapons that were more 'quirky' than 'fearsome'. The Longbow and Sentinel were snipers that traded the Kraber’s one-shot fantasy for a 'two-or-three-shot' reality, struggling when any legend with a shotgun closed the gap. The Triple Take was a confused entity, a shotgun-sniper hybrid managed through its Precision Choke. Its three-pellet spread made it a forgiving long-range friend but a confused close-quarters companion. The Mozambique was the greatest Cinderella story of the game. Once a meme synonymous with failure, its improved magazine size and the return of Hammerpoint Rounds (in Season 12, at least) transformed it into a shockingly effective shield-cracking secondary. It was no longer a punchline, but a legitimate finisher.

Finally, we arrive at the bottom of the barrel. D-Tier was a sad, lonely place. The Mastiff was the least reliable of the shotguns, its horizontal spread occasionally managing to perfectly outline a target with pellets instead of hitting them. The RE-45 auto-pistol was an enthusiastic but underwhelming R-99 cosplay, emptying its tiny magazine before you could say, “I’ve been downed.” And at the very, very bottom? The P2020. This pistol wasn't just outclassed; it was in a different, gentler sport entirely. It was a weapon you picked up only to immediately swap for literally any of the other 27 options on this list. It cried out for a buff that, even by 2026’s standards, was tragically overdue.

Looking back from the lofty perch of 2026, this Season 12 tier list is a beautiful time capsule. It reminds a player that while maps like Olympus and World’s Edge constantly change, the fundamental truths of raw DPS, recoil control, and the eternal hope of finding your favorite weapon remain forever hilarious. The more things change, the more you still get one-clipped by an R-99.