Weapons are the main damage path in Survive Zombie Arena. The useful comparison is where the gun comes from, what it costs, when it unlocks, and whether it solves your current wave problem.
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Unlock route
Starter and early Armory weapons
These are the weapons most players see first in the Armory. Use them to stabilize the opening waves, then move up once the current slot starts falling behind.
Common
Pistol
Secondary / Ballistic • Armory / Wave 1
- price
- Free
- Status
- Current
- damage
- 15
- DPS
- 37/sec
Uncommon
Revolver
Secondary / Ballistic • Armory / Wave 1
- price
- 650 Credits
- Status
- Current
- damage
- 45
- DPS
- 50/sec
Uncommon
Dual Pistols
Secondary / Ballistic • Armory / Wave 1
- price
- 650 Credits
- Status
- Current
- damage
- 25
- DPS
- 155/sec
Common
SMG
Primary / Ballistic • Armory / Wave 1
- price
- 750 Credits
- Status
- Current
- damage
- 18
- DPS
- 187/sec
Common
Shotgun
Primary / Ballistic • Armory / Wave 1
- price
- Free
- Status
- Current
- damage
- 80
- DPS
- 133/sec
Uncommon
Combat Shotgun
Primary / Ballistic • Armory / Wave 5
- price
- 1,500 Credits
- Status
- Current
- damage
- 150
- DPS
- 275/sec
Common
Rifle
Primary / Ballistic • Armory / Wave 1
- price
- Free
- Status
- Current
- damage
- 35
- DPS
- 666/sec
Rare
Burst Rifle
Primary / Ballistic • Armory / Wave 5
- price
- 2,500 Credits
- Status
- Current
- damage
- 40
- DPS
- 800/sec
Rare
AK-47
Primary / Ballistic • Armory / Wave 10
- price
- 3,500 Credits
- Status
- Current
- damage
- 60
- DPS
- 900/sec
Rare
Sniper
Primary / Ballistic • Armory / Wave 18
- price
- 10,000 Credits
- Status
- Current
- damage
- 320
- DPS
- 250/sec
| Image | Name | Rarity | Details | price | availability | damage | DPS | crate chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pistol | Common | Secondary / Ballistic • Armory / Wave 1 | Free | Current | 15 | 37/sec | — |
| Revolver | Uncommon | Secondary / Ballistic • Armory / Wave 1 | 650 Credits | Current | 45 | 50/sec | — |
| Dual Pistols | Uncommon | Secondary / Ballistic • Armory / Wave 1 | 650 Credits | Current | 25 | 155/sec | — |
| SMG | Common | Primary / Ballistic • Armory / Wave 1 | 750 Credits | Current | 18 | 187/sec | — |
| Shotgun | Common | Primary / Ballistic • Armory / Wave 1 | Free | Current | 80 | 133/sec | — |
| Combat Shotgun | Uncommon | Primary / Ballistic • Armory / Wave 5 | 1,500 Credits | Current | 150 | 275/sec | — |
| Rifle | Common | Primary / Ballistic • Armory / Wave 1 | Free | Current | 35 | 666/sec | — |
| Burst Rifle | Rare | Primary / Ballistic • Armory / Wave 5 | 2,500 Credits | Current | 40 | 800/sec | — |
| AK-47 | Rare | Primary / Ballistic • Armory / Wave 10 | 3,500 Credits | Current | 60 | 900/sec | — |
| Sniper | Rare | Primary / Ballistic • Armory / Wave 18 | 10,000 Credits | Current | 320 | 250/sec | — |
Unlock route
High-wave Credit and F2P weapons
These weapons are bigger Credit or wave goals. Minigun, Gumdrop Blaster, Arctic Striker, and World Ender are the rows to compare once your run needs late-wave damage instead of another early sidegrade.
Epic
Flamethrower
Primary / Elemental • Armory / Wave 20
- price
- 25,000 Credits
- Status
- Current
- damage
- 15
- DPS
- 1,000/sec
Rare
Heavy Rifle
Primary / Ballistic • Armory / Wave 25
- price
- 75,000 Credits
- Status
- Current
- damage
- 250
- DPS
- 1,722/sec
Epic
Minigun
Primary / Heavy • Armory / Wave 30
- price
- Free
- Status
- Current
- damage
- 45
- DPS
- 3,033/sec
Legendary
Gumdrop Blaster
Primary / Heavy • Armory / Wave 45
- price
- 500,000 Credits
- Status
- Current
- damage
- 400
- DPS
- 4,687/sec
Legendary
Arctic Striker
Primary / Energy • Armory / Wave 50
- price
- 1,000,000 Credits
- Status
- Current
- damage
- 400
- DPS
- 6,000/sec
Mythic
World Ender
Primary / Heavy • Armory / Wave 100
- price
- 3,500,000 Credits
- Status
- Current, listed
- damage
- 1,200
- DPS
- 12,000/sec
| Image | Name | Rarity | Details | price | availability | damage | DPS | crate chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flamethrower | Epic | Primary / Elemental • Armory / Wave 20 | 25,000 Credits | Current | 15 | 1,000/sec | — |
| Heavy Rifle | Rare | Primary / Ballistic • Armory / Wave 25 | 75,000 Credits | Current | 250 | 1,722/sec | — |
| Minigun | Epic | Primary / Heavy • Armory / Wave 30 | Free | Current | 45 | 3,033/sec | — |
| Gumdrop Blaster | Legendary | Primary / Heavy • Armory / Wave 45 | 500,000 Credits | Current | 400 | 4,687/sec | — |
| Arctic Striker | Legendary | Primary / Energy • Armory / Wave 50 | 1,000,000 Credits | Current | 400 | 6,000/sec | — |
Image unavailable for World Ender | World Ender | Mythic | Primary / Heavy • Armory / Wave 100 | 3,500,000 Credits | Current, listed | 1,200 | 12,000/sec | — |
Unlock route
VIP and Robux weapons
VIP and Robux weapons are optional shortcut routes. Their price and access restrictions matter as much as their damage because most players still need a stable free-to-play weapon path.
Rare
USP-S
Secondary / Ballistic • VIP Shop
- price
- 500 Credits + VIP Gamepass
- availability
- VIP Gamepass
- damage
- 25
- DPS
- 142/sec
Rare
MP5
Primary / Ballistic • VIP Shop
- price
- 1,000 Credits + VIP Gamepass
- availability
- VIP Gamepass
- damage
- 22
- DPS
- 200/sec
Legendary
Santito's Golden AK-47
Primary / Ballistic • VIP Shop
- price
- 20,000 Credits + VIP Gamepass
- availability
- VIP Gamepass
- damage
- 90
- DPS
- 4,500/sec
Epic
Plasma Gun
Primary / Energy • Robux Shop
- price
- 159 Robux
- availability
- Robux weapon
- damage
- 350
- DPS
- 5,000/sec
Galactic Weaver
Primary / Energy • Robux Shop
- price
- 479 Robux
- availability
- Robux weapon
| Image | Name | Rarity | Details | price | availability | damage | DPS | crate chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USP-S | Rare | Secondary / Ballistic • VIP Shop | 500 Credits + VIP Gamepass | VIP Gamepass | 25 | 142/sec | — |
| MP5 | Rare | Primary / Ballistic • VIP Shop | 1,000 Credits + VIP Gamepass | VIP Gamepass | 22 | 200/sec | — |
| Santito's Golden AK-47 | Legendary | Primary / Ballistic • VIP Shop | 20,000 Credits + VIP Gamepass | VIP Gamepass | 90 | 4,500/sec | — |
| Plasma Gun | Epic | Primary / Energy • Robux Shop | 159 Robux | Robux weapon | 350 | 5,000/sec | — |
| Galactic Weaver | — | Primary / Energy • Robux Shop | 479 Robux | Robux weapon | — | — | — |
Unlock route
Lava Crate weapons
Lava Crate weapons are chance rolls with fire, piercing, explosive, or heavy damage themes. Read the crate chance before judging the DPS, because the best rolls are not guaranteed.
Epic
Ember SMG
Primary / Elemental • Lava Crate
- price
- Crate roll
- availability
- Lava Crate
- damage
- 350
- DPS
- 5,343/sec
- crate chance
- 45%
Epic
Lava Rifle
Primary / Elemental • Lava Crate
- price
- Crate roll
- availability
- Lava Crate
- damage
- 550
- DPS
- 8,716/sec
- crate chance
- 30%
Epic
Corebreaker
Primary / Heavy • Lava Crate
- price
- Crate roll
- availability
- Lava Crate
- damage
- 1,200
- DPS
- 3,774/enemy
- crate chance
- 15%
Lava Bow
Ranged / Explosive • Lava Crate
- price
- Crate roll
- availability
- Lava Crate
- DPS
- 4,320/enemy
- crate chance
- 6%
Inferno Minigun
Primary / Heavy • Lava Crate
- price
- Crate roll
- availability
- Lava Crate
- DPS
- 54,875/sec
- crate chance
- 1%
Legendary
Lava Gatling
Primary / Heavy • Lava Crate
- price
- Crate roll
- availability
- Lava Crate
- damage
- 1,100
- DPS
- 105,600/sec
- crate chance
- 0.1%
| Image | Name | Rarity | Details | price | availability | damage | DPS | crate chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Image unavailable for Ember SMG | Ember SMG | Epic | Primary / Elemental • Lava Crate | Crate roll | Lava Crate | 350 | 5,343/sec | 45% |
Image unavailable for Lava Rifle | Lava Rifle | Epic | Primary / Elemental • Lava Crate | Crate roll | Lava Crate | 550 | 8,716/sec | 30% |
Image unavailable for Corebreaker | Corebreaker | Epic | Primary / Heavy • Lava Crate | Crate roll | Lava Crate | 1,200 | 3,774/enemy | 15% |
Image unavailable for Lava Bow | Lava Bow | — | Ranged / Explosive • Lava Crate | Crate roll | Lava Crate | — | 4,320/enemy | 6% |
Image unavailable for Inferno Minigun | Inferno Minigun | — | Primary / Heavy • Lava Crate | Crate roll | Lava Crate | — | 54,875/sec | 1% |
Image unavailable for Lava Gatling | Lava Gatling | Legendary | Primary / Heavy • Lava Crate | Crate roll | Lava Crate | 1,100 | 105,600/sec | 0.1% |
Unlock route
Galactic Crate weapons
Galactic Crate weapons are rarer energy and melee-style rolls. The strongest rows have very low listed odds, so treat them as chase weapons rather than normal progression.
Cosmic Pistol
Secondary / Energy • Galactic Crate
- price
- Crate roll
- availability
- Galactic Crate listing
- DPS
- 5,760/sec
- crate chance
- 7%
Quasar
Primary / Energy • Galactic Crate
- price
- Crate roll
- availability
- Galactic Crate listing
- DPS
- 12,090/sec
- crate chance
- 4%
Legendary
Pulsar
Primary / Energy • Galactic Crate
- price
- Crate roll
- availability
- Galactic Crate
- damage
- 3,200
- DPS
- 38,092/sec
- crate chance
- 2%
Epic
Void Scythe
Melee / Energy • Galactic Crate
- price
- Crate roll
- availability
- Galactic Crate
- damage
- 2,500
- DPS
- 9,821/sec
- crate chance
- 0.5%
Mythic
Interstellar
Primary / Energy • Galactic Crate
- price
- Crate roll
- availability
- Galactic Crate
- damage
- 5,000
- DPS
- 36,000/sec
- crate chance
- 0.03%
| Image | Name | Rarity | Details | price | availability | damage | DPS | crate chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Image unavailable for Cosmic Pistol | Cosmic Pistol | — | Secondary / Energy • Galactic Crate | Crate roll | Galactic Crate listing | — | 5,760/sec | 7% |
Image unavailable for Quasar | Quasar | — | Primary / Energy • Galactic Crate | Crate roll | Galactic Crate listing | — | 12,090/sec | 4% |
Image unavailable for Pulsar | Pulsar | Legendary | Primary / Energy • Galactic Crate | Crate roll | Galactic Crate | 3,200 | 38,092/sec | 2% |
Image unavailable for Void Scythe | Void Scythe | Epic | Melee / Energy • Galactic Crate | Crate roll | Galactic Crate | 2,500 | 9,821/sec | 0.5% |
Image unavailable for Interstellar | Interstellar | Mythic | Primary / Energy • Galactic Crate | Crate roll | Galactic Crate | 5,000 | 36,000/sec | 0.03% |
How weapons work during a run
Survive Zombie Arena starts you on a basic sidearm path, then pushes you toward stronger Armory slots as waves get denser. The simple early route is Pistol into Shotgun-style crowd control, then Rifle or Burst Rifle for steadier mid-wave damage. Heavy and energy weapons become more important once ordinary zombies stop dying quickly and elites start forcing the team to hold chokepoints.
The Armory uses four weapon slots. The first slot is for pistol-style weapons, the second covers Shotgun and SMG options, and the later slots move into automatic, heavy, and higher-damage weapons. Treat each slot as a role choice: sidearm safety, close crowd control, mid-range pressure, or late-wave carry damage.
How to buy weapons in the Armory
- Earn enough Credits by surviving waves and clearing zombies.
- Open the Armory and choose the weapon slot you want to improve.
- Scroll to the Unowned section for that slot.
- Select the weapon you want, then use the listed price button to buy it.
- Equip the weapon from the Owned section before starting or continuing your run.
Do not buy every cheap sidegrade just because it is available. A better route is to solve the next wave problem first: Shotgun or Combat Shotgun for early packs, Rifle/Burst Rifle/AK-47 for steadier mid-wave fire, then Minigun, Gumdrop Blaster, Arctic Striker, or World Ender once your run can support bigger goals.
How to upgrade weapons
Weapon upgrades happen at Mr. Santito's Upgrade Shop. Earn Credits from waves, visit the shop, pick the weapon you want to improve, and pay the listed upgrade price. Upgrade the weapon you are actually using to clear waves before spending on a weapon that will sit in another slot.
A safe upgrade rule is simple: keep your current damage high enough that your team is not getting overwhelmed, then save for the next meaningful unlock. If enemies are reaching your barricades too fast, upgrade the weapon already covering that lane. If your damage is fine but your next slot opens soon, save instead of over-upgrading a short-term gun.
How to read premium and crate weapons
VIP, Robux, Lava Crate, and Galactic Crate weapons are separated from normal Armory progression because they do not answer the same question. A VIP or Robux weapon can be a shortcut, but it is not required for a free-to-play route. Crate weapons are chance-based, so the crate chance matters as much as the DPS number.
Lava Crate weapons are mostly fire, piercing, or heavy damage rolls. Galactic Crate weapons are rarer energy or melee-style rolls with much lower odds at the top end. Open crates when you are comfortable with the chance, not when you need a guaranteed upgrade for the next wave.
FAQ
How do you buy weapons in Survive Zombie Arena?
Earn Credits from waves, open the Armory, choose a weapon slot, scroll to Unowned, select the weapon, buy it with the listed price, then equip it from Owned.
How do you upgrade weapons?
Go to Mr. Santito's Upgrade Shop during a run, select the weapon you want to improve, and pay the listed upgrade price. Upgrade the weapon carrying your current wave before chasing a weapon you cannot use yet.
What weapon should beginners get first?
Use the starter Pistol long enough to build Credits, then move into Shotgun or Combat Shotgun for early packs. Rifle, Burst Rifle, and AK-47 are safer mid-wave upgrades once zombies need steadier damage.
Are Robux or VIP weapons required?
No. VIP and Robux weapons can speed up a route, but normal Armory weapons still cover the main progression path. Do not buy premium weapons just to skip learning the early slots.
What do Lava Crate and Galactic Crate chances mean?
The chance is the listed roll odds for that crate weapon. A high-DPS crate weapon can still be a poor immediate plan if its chance is tiny and you need guaranteed damage now.
Why are some weapon images missing?
Some crate and high-wave weapons do not have clean item art in current public sources. Those rows stay image-light instead of using guide thumbnails or unrelated screenshots.