The gunplay in Active Matter is one of the best I’ve experienced this year. Smooth animations, satisfying hitboxes, and a wide range of weapons available. There are over 70 different guns in the game. Since Active Matter guns are so diverse, you need to know which one to pick for PvE fights and PvP fights. Then, you need to understand how to use each one effectively.
That’s why I went through each gun in the game’s arsenal and picked the very best candidates. I created this table to guide you on which weapons work best for which fight, and how exactly each gun helps you.
| Weapon | Class | Ammo Type | Magazine | Best For | PvE | PvP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UMP-45 | Submachine Gun | .45 ACP | 30 | Close–mid range | Good | Good |
| AK103 | Assault Rifle | 7.62×39mm | 30 | Good all around | Excellent | Excellent |
| SPAS-12 | Shotgun | 12 Gauge | 8 | Close range | Excellent | Situational |
| PKM | Machine Gun | 7.62×54mm | 100 | Suppressing fire | Excellent | Excellent |
| SKS | Semi-auto Rifle | 7.62×39mm | 10 | Mid-long range | Good | Good |
| Mosin | Bolt-action Rifle | 7.62×54mm | 5 | Long range | Good | Excellent |
| SV98 | Bolt-action Rifle | 7.62x54mm | 10 | Extra long range/headshots | Good | Absolutely Amazing |
| Spear | Melee | – | – | Melee attacks in PvE | Excellent for conserving ammo | Only as last resort |
| Flamethrower | Special | Fuel | 1 canister (can’t be refueled) | Crowd control and Flowerman | Absolutely Amazing | Limited |
All the things you need:
PvE
Tactical Spear
The thing about the monsters in this game is that most of them are fast and not worth wasting your ammo. At the beginning, I used my weapons on them purely because it was fun to take down those pesky Hellhounds with shots to their heads.
Soon after, I realized using melee is a much wiser option. Why? Because not only do you conserve ammo, but hitting fast enemies like the Hellhounds, Mimics, and the Distorted is much easier with the tactical spear. Don’t try it on the Flowermen or Hive Swarms. That’s just asking for a quick death. And don’t do it on Shy Girls either. When triggered, they lunge at you and you need to create distance fast.
Flamethrower
As soon as I picked up the CF-400 Flamethrower, I knew immediately it would be heavenly to set those damn Flowermen on fire. When I encountered the first Flowermen swarm on a raid, I set them ablaze and watched as they went down in mere seconds. It’s almost as if the Flamethrower was made for taking down Flowermen.
Besides Flowermen, I tried this on most enemies in the game and found Hive Swarms and Dendroids to be the next best targets. I mean, naturally, Hive Swarms are notoriously hard to take down; but with a Flamethrower? Easy peasy.
Do not attempt this gun on other players though. First of all, you need to get close which is already a bad idea, and second, it doesn’t do enough damage compared to other guns such as the AK series.
The Flamethrower’s canisters unfortunately can’t be refilled.
UMP-45
Compared to the PM63 and PP-91, UMP uses .45 cartridges, which pack a much harder punch. This is especially useful against PvE monsters since it only takes a few bullets to take them down. It has a low recoil and low rate of fire of 600 RPM, which means it’s quite easy to control the recoil. It also is THE submachine gun if you want to customize it to your heart’s desire. I recommend putting on optics for this gun since it increases its effective range of fire.
With its 30 (cheap to acquire) rounds in each mag, UMP-45 can be a great early weapon since it doesn’t need much budget. Furthermore, I personally always put a suppressor on it and take down Mimics and Distorted one by one from a safe distance. Typically around 30 to 40 meters. It’s very satisfying when you pull off a perfect stealth takedown for each enemy.
SPAS-12
Everyone’s favorite pump-action shotgun, SPAS-12 doesn’t have any slots for attachments, but who says it needs any?
In Active Matter, many enemy types always try to rush you, swarm you, or simply get into melee range to kill you, so having a SPAS-12 equipped proves extremely useful. Whenever Flowermen or Mimics get into range, you open fire. They usually go down in one or two hits.
Plus, it’s budget-friendly, so I wasn’t risking much going into harder raids with this shotgun. If you’re low on money, pick the SPAS-12.
PKM
The PKM is an LMG that combines a hard-hitting 7.62×54mm cartridge with a 100-round magazine, letting you maintain fire for a long time without constantly reloading. It has a 650 RPM rate and a 6-second reload animation.
The best part about the PKM for me is that it really helped me out when I was under pressure from multiple monsters chasing me. The high rate of fire is seriously its selling point, as it often is with most LMGs.
So pick this weapon if you’re planning to mow down running enemies.
SKS
One of the first semi-auto rifles you’ll come across, the SKS is the perfect early game rifle to kill the mobs from afar. This reduces any risk of fast enemies reaching you in melee range. SKS doesn’t have any attachment slots either.
However, the best aspect of the SKS is its ammo. You only need to bring one mag with you. With only one mag, the SKS will keep reloading as long as you have enough ammo. I should warn you, whenever I needed to reload, it was like hell on Earth. It takes each individual bullet a considerably lengthy animation to load into the gun.
Carry a backup weapon like the Makarov PM in case fast enemies are after you and you’re in the middle of reloading. The last 8 bullets from a Makarov would surely put down the Hellhound you missed.
Mosin
The Mosin is the gun to pick if you want to be more accurate with your shots. With a good optic attachment, you can take down even the smaller enemies like the Hellhounds from a very long range.
Whenever I had monsters charging at me, I’d usually switch to my other weapon. Constant repositioning is part of the deal that comes with the Mosin.
Its real power reveals itself in PvP.
PvP
UMP-45
Ever since the October 2025 update, the recoil for the UMP was significantly reduced, making it an ideal SMG for those who struggle with keeping their aim steady while under fire by another player. I equip the suppressor when going on PvP maps as well. I love surprising other players from behind a bush or a rock without them immediately realizing from which direction the shots are coming.
Another reason I decided to include the UMP in my list is that it works from both mid-range and close-range. Sometimes players try to rush you with a shotgun. Having a bolt-action rifle won’t help you in that situation. This is where UMP-45 shows its true potential.
AK103
Extremely versatile. The AK103 lets you put on almost any attachment you like. Fully automatic with 600 RPM, the AK103 is your best buddy to take into any gunfights. It works from close, medium, and long range. Put on optics and grips to control its recoil and take down players from afar or up close. Though, I will admit, I experienced some difficulty taking down hostiles from long range mostly because the AK103 isn’t particularly accurate at long range.. But it makes up for it with its cheap price.
It’s an all-rounder, so take it with you if you want to be ready for any situation.
SV-98
If you’re a fan of using optics on your gun, you’re in for a treat. All optics in the game can be equipped on the SV-98. And if, like me, you love landing those sweet, sweet headshots from the rooftops, you’ll absolutely fall in love with this gun.
SV-98 is, like Mosin Nagant, a bolt-action rifle. That means you reload manually so you got to make each shot count. When confronted by a hostile player, try to never reveal your position until the last moment when you take the shot.
What I usually did when I took the SV-98 with me was find a high vantage point and wait to spot any movement from an enemy player. I got lots of kills this way.
Mosin
Mosin gives you a powerful long-range option at relatively low equipment cost. I can confidently tell you PvP often rewards positioning and catching another player before they’re ready to fight, so a scoped Mosin fits that role perfectly for me.
The only downside for me was that it could only hold 5 rounds, and I wasn’t patient enough to wait so long to be able to shoot again. However, if you’re handy with a rifle, and short on cash, go for the Mosin.
SPAS-12
The usefulness of SPAS-12 is not limited to PvE, in my opinion. Yes, it is obviously limited by range, but encountering or forcing players into tight corridors or inside buildings could end the encounter very quickly in your favor.
Hit them with enough shells in PvP, and they’ll go down in a jiffy. Don’t rush the enemy if you can; let them come to you. And most importantly, don’t let the enemy catch you reloading. 8 shots: that’s all you’ve got for each round in a gunfight. Wasting them will be your death sentence.
PKM
Just like in PvE, PKM will help you keep suppression fire on the enemy. Unlike mobs, players are smart enough to stay in cover until they think you’ve run out of ammo or need to reload.
The trick is to keep firing for a bit and then stop firing altogether until they peek their pretty little head out or try running from one cover to another. That’s when you’ll actually get them.
I always made sure that whatever I did, I was never caught reloading with a PKM. If a player saw me doing the reload animation, it would’ve charged me like a bull seeing red.
Tips
- Don’t equip the Spear into PvP. It sticks out from your back like a sore thumb and other players immediately know your location by the tall pole poking out of your backpack.
- Use the Flamethrower on PvE enemies like the Flowermen and Hive Swarms, not on players. Close-range PvP usually ends badly for new players.
- If you’re a beginner, use UMP for PvE and PvP at first, then move to AK103 for PvE and PvP, but once you’re comfortable with the game, specialize in one weapon for PvE and another for PvP.
