The best SMGs in Battlefield 6, ranked

The best SMGs in Battlefield 6 can compete with any weapon in the game in their optimal range. Find out what they are here.

The maps in Battlefield 6 are generally small enough and have enough chokepoints that SMGs are a viable choice in almost any situation. The best SMGs can sometimes even compete with assault rifles, provided you play your cards right. We’ll be ranking the SMGs in BF6 here, so you know which to bring into your next match.

Every SMG in Battlefield 6, ranked

As of Season 1, there are eight SMGs to use in Battlefield 6, but I’d only put two in the top tier. Most are good but not great, and a couple are sub-par in almost any scenario. Here’s our ranking, from worst to best.

8. UMG-40

The UMG-40 is probably the worst SMG in BF6 for two damning reasons. First is its low damage, which is compounded by the second issue: its fire rate. Combined, these traits raise its time-to-kill enough that you’re liable to lose to almost any other full-auto gun in the game. The UMG-40’s recoil is easy to control, so you can play at longer ranges, but its damage falloff is pretty severe, so you’ll need to hit a handful of shots on what’s likely a moving target.

7. PW7A2

The Battlefield 6 version of the MP7, the PW7A2 has the same problems as the UMG-40: criminally low damage and fast damage falloff. It bumps up a position because, like its real-world counterpart, the PW7A2 has a much faster fire rate without adding a ton of extra recoil. You have a better chance to win a fight by volume of fire alone, though there are always better options.

6. USG-90

Here comes another victim of the low damage gremlins. The USG-90 is in this position because it strikes a balance between volume of fire and fire rate thanks to its 50-round magazine. It won’t kill as fast as the PW7A2, but it won’t struggle quite so much as the UMG-40 up close, either. I don’t really care for it for most purposes, as it and the other weapons so far feel like I’m shooting marshmallows.

5. SL9

The SL9 shoots like it looks: weird. It’s much more controllable and can kill more consistently at range, but the low fire rate and clunky handling hold it back. It lacks the sheer firepower of its betters, but wins out over previous entries thanks to its higher damage and ease of use. I’d almost always want something else given how I would frequently lose head-to-head gunfights to better guns, but it’s passable.

4. KV9

How do you balance a hard-hitting bullet hose in an FPS? Make its magazine frustratingly small. The KV9 comes with a 17-round mag by default, and that means you will need to reload after every fight. If you’re a good shot or you catch a group by surprise, you might be able to eke out a double or even a triple kill, but any more than that is asking too much. The speed of those kills, though? Near instant. It’s a good feeling.

3. SCW-10

I love the SCW-10 because putting down cocky opponents in three shots up close will never not be satisfying. But that 15-round magazine is a tragedy, giving the weapon the same hadicap as the KV9 until you can grind out larger mags. I had good success with the SCW-10 despite the ammo limitations, thanks to its high damage output, but snagging the 20-round mag was a treat.

2. SGX

As the starting SMG, the SGX needs to be good so new players have something to compete with higher-level opponents with more specialized gear. And it fulfills its workhorse well. Too well, really, because the thing shoots fast, hits hard for that fire rate, and you can equip a nearly 40-round mag without too much grinding. If you’re trying to unlock attachments on other weapons but are having a bad night of it, swap to the SGX for an almost guaranteed better time.

1. PW5A3

I admit, it was tough to choose between the PW5A3 and the SGX for the number one spot, as both have their place. I’m going with BF6’s version of the MP5. Sure, the fire rate is a bit slower, and it’s bouncier, but it hits just as hard as its contemporaries out to a respectable distance.

It also feels like the damage is more consistent overall, likely due to how the weapon can’t put rounds down range quite as quickly. You might get dirty looks for using the “tryhard weapon,” but you can’t go wrong equipping the PW5A3 if you want to take a lobby by the throat.

For much more on Battlefield 6, check out our dedicated game page.