RELATED: Resident Evil Village: The Weapons You Should Sell & When To Sell Them

Resident Evil Village is as much a love letter to the series as it is a breathtaking sequel to Resident Evil 7. Weapon upgrading returns in Village, giving Ethan a wider armory of weapons to choose from than in Resident Evil 7. Since there are so many guns in Resident Evil Village, it helps to know which weapons to upgrade right away.

Updated on January 28, 2022, by Jason Wojnar: The year is 2022 and people are still talking about how much they loved Resident Evil Village. This positive word-of-mouth and the upcoming DLC are no doubt causing more people to jump into the franchise and this game. Newcomers will no doubt find this article’s information helpful regarding the best weapons to upgrade in Resident Evil Village helpful, especially with the updates added. Resident Evil Village is not particularly long, so there is plenty of time to play it before the next entry in the franchise comes out.

10 LEMI Handgun

Prioritize Rate of Fire and Power First gun Ethan finds

The LEMI Handgun, which is the first firearm Ethan finds in the story, isn’t worth holding onto for the whole game, but it’s going to be players’ main weapon in Castle Dimitrescu during a first playthrough, so it’s worth upgrading.

Lei isn’t abundant during the early game, but money isn’t particularly hard to come by after the Castle. Make sure to prioritize the LEMI’s Power and Rate of Fire for upgrades. The LEMI’s default Reload Speed isn’t too hot, but it’s serviceable for the Castle. The best way to use the LEMI is to damage enemies and then swap to a stronger gun for the kill.

9 M1897 Shotgun

On a table in the house with a hole in the floor during the first big encounter with the Lycans Prioritize and Ammo Capacity

The M1897 Shotgun will be found in East Old Town right before Ethan is attacked by the swarm of Lycans. The M1897 is the weakest Shotgun in the game and should be replaced as soon as possible, but it has the potential to be absolutely lethal during the early game.

Upgrading the M1987’s Power and Ammo Capacity will eat up a fair bit of cash in the Castle, but enemies will drop dead fast. After leaving the castle and finding the W870 shotgun following the House Beneviento segment, Ethan should sell the M1897 and invest in upgrades toward the new weapon.

8 F2 Sniper Rifle

Found in the attic of Castle Dimitrescu, right before heading out to the rooftops Prioritize Power and Rate of Fire

The F2 Sniper Rifle will be found inside the attic of Castle Dimitrescu in the room before stepping onto the roofs. Despite being obtained so early into the game, the F2 Sniper Rifle is one of the absolute best guns in Resident Evil Village. Fully maxed out, the Sniper Rifle is about as strong as a base Magnum – which is already beastly.

RELATED: Resident Evil Village: Every Item Necessary For Crafting & Where They Can Be Found

Players should fully upgrade the F2 Sniper Rifle by the end of the first playthrough (especially to unlock Infinite Ammo in the Bonus Shop), but prioritize Power and Rate of Fire first. It also helps to purchase the Cheek Rest attachment from the Duke to reduce the Sniper Rifle’s sway when aiming down the scope. It also comes in handy during the final boss fight, making quicker work of her if the F2’s power is fully upgraded.

7 M1911 Handgun

Enter the code 070408 in the safe in the Village Workshop after leaving Castle Dimitrescu Prioritize Rate of Fire and Power

The M1911 Handgun can be found in the Village Workshop after completing Castle Dimitrescu. It’ll be hidden in a locked cabinet in the northwest house. Type in the lock’s code (070408) and the Handgun should be inside.

The M1911 is a considerably better weapon than the LEMI, lacking only when it comes to Ammo Capacity. The M1911 will be Ethan’s main Handgun up to the final area, but make sure the Rate of Fire and Power are kept up to date with upgrades. Once Ethan reaches Heisenberg’s factory, essentially the last act, he earns the ability to buy the V61 Custom Handgun from the Duke, which is the superior gun.

6 W870 TAC Shotgun

Found in the south area of the garden after completing the House Beneviento segment Every upgrade path is valid. Ethan will eventually sell it after reaching Heisenberg’s factory to buy the SYG-12

The W870 TAC Shotgun can be found in the Garden on the way to House Beneviento (though Ethan will only be able to explore this area properly after defeating Donna Beneviento). The W870 TAC Shotgun is in a shack Ethan passes after completing House Beneviento.

Make sure to sell the M1897 immediately and start getting accustomed to the W870. The Shotgun’s weight will take some getting used to, but it’s far stronger. Like with the M1911, aim to upgrade everything and use the resale value later.

5 V61 Custom Handgun

On sale from the Duke after entering Heisenberg’s factory Upgrade Ammo Capacity and Reload Speed first. All the same, it is the last handgun Ethan receives in the game.

The V61 Custom Handgun becomes available to purchase after entering Heisenberg’s Factory and is the strongest Handgun Ethan can obtain in the main game. The V61 Custom can be bought from the Duke for 120,000 Lei, which is quite a lot at any point during a first playthrough.

Fortunately, an upgraded M1911 fetches a nice profit. Aim to upgrade Ammo Capacity and Reload Speed first, as that’s where the V61 is most lacking. From there, invest in Power, but keep in mind that New Game Plus has other Handguns to try out.

4 SYG-12 Shotgun

On sale from the Duke after entering Heisenberg’s Factory Upgrade the Power and Ammo Capacity. This being the last shotgun, players will eventually upgrade it all the way.

Like the V61 Custom Handgun, the SYG-12 Shotgun is available to purchase after entering Heisenberg’s Factory. The SYG-12 costs a whopping 180,000 Lei. Reselling the W870 will help cover that. The SYG-12 is worth investing in, though. It’s the strongest Shotgun in the game and is as unreasonably strong as it is fast.

A fully upgraded SYG-12 is a multiple playthrough endeavor in the making, but it’s worth it. Being semi-automatic, players will not have to worry about upgrading the Rate of Fire. Investing in Ammo Capacity will help increase the amount of time Ethan can fire before reloading. Additionally, the Drum Magazine can extend a clip size all the way up to forty, more than enough to clean most rooms without having to reload.

3 M851 Wolfsbane Magnum

Found in the village, marked as Moreau’s hidden treasure Prioritize Power

The M851 Wolfsbane Magnum can only be obtained after defeating Moreau. Use the newly acquired Crank to access Moreau’s Lab and home. The Magnum will be labeled as Moreau’s Hidden Treasure on the overworld map. It’s in a treasure chest inside a locked house that Ethan can enter through the back.

RELATED: Resident Evil Village: All The Recipes In The Game & What Is Needed To Craft Them

Kill the Lycan inside and grab the Magnum. The Wolfsbane is extremely expensive to upgrade, but it’s the strongest gun players find before New Game Plus. The Magnum wipes the floor with most enemies at its base Like most Resident Evil games, players should save magnum ammo for bosses. This is why Power is the most important stat. Whip it out once the boss’s weak point is revealed and fire a few heavy shots into it.

2 WCX Assault Rifle

Bought with CP during new game plus Prioritize Power and Ammo Capacity

Challenges and Bonus Shop unlock after beating the game once. By completing in-game Challenges (some tied to Trophies and Achievements), players can earn CP to unlock Figurines, Concept Art, or new weapons and even Infinite Ammo for subsequent playthroughs.

The WCX Assault Rifle costs 30,000 CP and can then be bought at the Duke for 200 Lei. The WCX has two attachments players should purchase ASAP, but get ready to spend a lot of LEI. The Red Dot Sight increases the WCX’s Power and costs 140,000 Lei whereas the Foregrip reduces recoils by a fair bit and costs 80,000 Lei. With high Power and Ammo Capacity, the battle should be over before it is time to put in a new magazine.

1 STAKE Magnum

On sale from the Duke after beating the game Prioritize Power

The STAKE Magnum is the strongest weapon in Resident Evil Village but is only available for purchase in New Game Plus. The Duke will sell the STAKE for 300,000 Lei on any cleared files. The STAKE has two expensive attachments worth buying as well: the Extended Mag for 180,000 Lei and Improved Grip for 120,000 Lei.

The STAKE is a weapon that will take a few playthroughs to buy, let alone upgrade, but it’s the perfect weapon to take on the higher difficulties. Like the prior magnum, make it as powerful as possible first to make short work of bosses. With it fully upgraded, even bosses on nightmare difficult will be easy.

Resident Evil Village is out now for PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC

MORE: Resident Evil Village: Pro Tips For The Game’s Combat