Mass Effect 2: Best Weapon Upgrades to Get First (& Why)

Shepard can improve features like the power, accuracy, and clip size of weapons in Mass Effect 2 by purchasing and researching upgrades.

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Throughout the main story of Mass Effect 2, Shepard will encounter new potential upgrades to weapons, armor, squadmates, and even the Normandy itself. The upgrade system in Mass Effect 2 is accessed via the Tech Lab on the Normandy. To unlock it, players will need to recruit Mordin Solus on Omega. The terminal in the Tech Lab allows Shepard to see all available upgrades and research them using rare minerals. Shepard can increase the power of most weapons available in Mass Effect 2 by purchasing or researching upgrades. With so many available weapons classes to choose from, and so many potential upgrades, it can be difficult to tell what should be prioritized and what can wait until later in the game when the Normandy has collected more resources.

The Weapon Upgrades section of the Mass Effect 2 upgrade interface include options to improve a weapon’s base stats. While increasing damage tends to be a primary focus of Weapon upgrades, each weapon type also has a few upgrades that can increase accuracy, ammo capacity, and penetration of Armor or Barriers. Almost all Weapon Upgrades affect the specified weapon for the entire squad, making them good investments for overall team power and synergy. Weapon Upgrades will be especially important for combat-heavy classes, like Vanguards and Soldiers, as well as for companions who rely on firepower more than abilities. Here are the best Weapon Upgrades to research first in Mass Effect 2.

Best Weapon Upgrades to Get First in Mass Effect 2

The order in which Shepard unlocks Weapon Upgrades in Mass Effect 2 tends to vary depending on what purchases they make and what order they complete squadmate recruitments and Loyalty missions. It is important to note that these upgrades are different from the various armor pieces Shepard can loot or purchase from vendors during the game. Those weapons are simply added to the Normandy’s Armory and Shepard’s personal arsenal, and players can equip squadmates with these weapons ahead of any mission or at a Weapon Bench.

Unlike the Mass Effect 2 Armor Upgrades or Normandy Upgrades, which were often prioritized based on the upgrade type, Armor Upgrades require Shepard to prioritize by weapon type, as most of the upgrades are similar for each weapon. From the start of the game, players should always prioritize upgrades for their primary Weapon type: Heavy Pistols, SMGs, Shotguns, Assault Rifles, or Sniper Rifles. They will want to prioritize getting at least two or three upgrades that increase the weapon’s damage output. The damage bonus upgrades unlock the better, more sophisticated upgrades to other weapon stats. Once those other stats, like armor or barrier piercing, or increased accuracy, open, Shepard should make a point to research those as soon as possible.

After prioritizing upgrades for their primary weapon, players should next prioritize upgrades for the weapons primarily used by their preferred squadmates to increase the power of the squad. For example, if Shepard tends to bring Grunt and Tali on missions, Shotguns would be the next most important weapon to upgrade. If they tend to enter missions with biotic specialists like Samara and Jack, they will want to prioritize upgrades to Heavy Pistols and SMGs.

All the available Weapon Upgrades, categorized by weapon type, and their costs appear below:

Assault Rifles

• Assault Rifle Damage 1-7 (Kinetic Pulsar): Increases squad Assault Rifle damage by 10%; 2,500+ Iridium or 60,000 Credits
• Assault Rifle Penetration (Tungsten Jacket): Increases squad Assault Rifle damage against armor, shields and biotic barriers by 25%; unlocks after 2 Assault Rifle Damage upgrades; 15,000 Iridium
• Assault Rifle Accuracy (Targeting VI): Significantly improves the accuracy of squad Assault Rifles; unlocks after 3 Assault Rifle Damage upgrades; 25,000 Iridium

Heavy Pistols

• Heavy Pistol Damage 1-6 (Titan Pulsar): Increases squad Heavy Pistol damage by 10%; 2,500+ Palladium or 60,000 Credits
• AP Heavy Pistol (Sabot Jacketing): Increases squad Heavy Pistol damage against armor by 50%; unlocks after 2 Heavy Pistol upgrades; 15,000 Palladium
• Heavy Pistol Critical (Smart Rounds): Heavy Pistols have a 20-25% chance to deal double damage on each shot for the entire squad; unlocks after 3 Heavy Pistol Damage upgrades; 25,000 Palladium

Shotguns

• Shotgun Damage 1-6 (Synchronized Pulsar): Increases squad Shotgun damage by 10%; 2,500+ Platinum or 60,000 Credits
• Shotgun Shield Piercing (Microphasic Pulse): Increases squad Shotgun damage against shields and biotic barriers by 50%; unlocks after 2 Shotgun Damage upgrades; 15,000 Platinum
• Shotgun Extra Rounds (Thermal Sink): Doubles the number of Shotgun rounds per clip for the entire squad; unlocks after 3 Shotgun Damage upgrades; 25,000 Platinum

Sniper Rifles

• Sniper Rifle Damage 1-6 (Scram Pulsar): Increases squad Sniper Rifle damage by 10%; 2,500+ Platinum or 60,000 Credits
• AP Sniper Rifle (Tungsten Sabot Jacket): Increases squad Sniper Rifle damage against armor by 50%; unlocks after 2 Sniper Rifle Damage upgrades; 15,000 Platinum
• Sniper Headshot Damage (Combat Scanner): Increases Sniper Rifle headshot damage by 50% for the entire squad; unlocks after 3 Sniper Rifle Damage upgrades; 25,000 Platinum

Submachine Guns (SMGs)

• Submachine Gun Damage 1-6 (Microfield Pulsar): Increases squad SMG damage by 10%; 2,500+ Iridium or 60,000 Credits
• SMG Shield Piercing (Phasic Jacketing): Increases squad SMG damage against shields and biotic barriers by 50%; unlocks after 2 SMG Damage upgrades; 15,000 Iridium
• SMG Extra Rounds (Heat Sink Capacity): Increases SMG ammo rounds by 50% for the entire squad; unlocks after 3 SMG Damage upgrades; 25,000 Iridium

In general, Heavy Weapons ammo upgrades are nice to have but will depend on a player’s unique needs. The Heavy Weapon Ammo 1-7 upgrades increases the ammo capacity of Heavy Weapons by 15% with each upgrade. Some players choose not to use the Heavy Weapons often, if at all. These players may better invest their rare resources into other upgrades. The same is true for upgrades that increase ammo capacity. Some players prefer having the option to fire endlessly without needing to stop as often for a reload or to pick up more clips. This can be especially important when using SMGs as a primary weapon. However, given there are so many clips available on each level, some players prefer to save their rare resources for more impactful upgrades. Ultimately, these Weapon Upgrade decisions in Mass Effect 2 will depend on a player’s preferences and Shepard’s class.

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