ULTRAKILL is a retro-styled FPS inspired by Quake, Devil May Cry, and classic arcade shooters. Set in the layers of Hell, you play as a machine fueled by blood, meaning aggressive play literally heals you. The style ranking system (D through ULTRAKILL) rewards varied combat, weapon swapping, and creative kills. Every weapon has multiple variants with distinct alt-fires, and the coin-flipping mechanic lets you redirect shots for trick kills. Currently in Early Access through Act 2, it's already considered one of the best boomer shooters ever made.
Picking the right build determines how your experience plays out. These builds are ranked by overall effectiveness — factoring in damage, survivability, gear requirements, and how well they scale into endgame.
Quick Rankings
| Role | Tier | Playstyle | Core Gear |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shotgun Main | S | Grapple in with Whiplash, Core Eject into swap-cancel loops, punch for extra blood. | Core Eject Shotgun, Pump Charge Shotgun, Whiplash, Knuckleblaster |
| Railcannon Specialist | A | Open with railcannon on the biggest threat, coin-redirect for precision, swap to other weapons during cooldown. | Malicious Railcannon, Electric Railcannon, Marksman Revolver, Coins |
| Coin Trickshotter | A | Toss coins constantly, chain shots through them for auto-aim headshots, maximize style rank. | Marksman Revolver, Coins, Malicious Railcannon, Core Eject Shotgun |
| Nailgun Shredder | B | Tag enemies with magnets, shred with nails, detonate overheat nails with shotgun blasts for explosions. | Attractor Nailgun, Overheat Nailgun, Shotgun (detonator), Whiplash |
| Rocket Surfer | B | Stay airborne with rocket jumps, rain down Firestarter rockets for area denial, shotgun for close encounters. | Firestarter Rocket Launcher, Freezeframe Rocket Launcher, Shotgun, Whiplash |
S-Tier: Shotgun Main
Focuses on the Core Eject and Pump Charge shotgun variants for close-range devastation. Core Eject swap-canceling produces the highest sustained DPS in the game. The bread-and-butter approach that works on every encounter.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Weapon | Piercer Revolver | Charged shot that pierces through all enemies in a line. |
| Core Gear | Core Eject Shotgun, Pump Charge Shotgun, Whiplash, Knuckleblaster | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Close-Range DPS, Swap Speed, Blood Healing | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | style ranking system | Every kill and action adds to your style meter from D to ULTRAKILL rank. |
How to Play Shotgun Main
Grapple in with Whiplash, Core Eject into swap-cancel loops, punch for extra blood.
Focuses on the Core Eject and Pump Charge shotgun variants for close-range devastation. Core Eject swap-canceling produces the highest sustained DPS in the game. The bread-and-butter approach that works on every encounter.
What makes this role work: The synergy between Piercer Revolver and style ranking system creates a gameplay loop that outperforms other options. Core gear like Core Eject Shotgun, Pump Charge Shotgun, Whiplash, Knuckleblaster amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Highest overall performance
- Clear stat priority (Close-Range DPS, Swap Speed, Blood Healing) makes gearing straightforward
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Popular pick, resources may be contested
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
A-Tier: Railcannon Specialist
Uses Malicious and Electric railcannon variants to delete priority targets instantly. Railcannon shots bounced off coins deal double damage. Requires good target prioritization since railcannons have long cooldowns.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Weapon | Core Eject Shotgun | Fires normally, then alt-fire ejects the heated core as a bouncing explosive. |
| Core Gear | Malicious Railcannon, Electric Railcannon, Marksman Revolver, Coins | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Burst Damage, Cooldown Management, Target Priority | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | blood healing | As a machine powered by blood, you heal by being splashed with enemy blood. |
How to Play Railcannon Specialist
Open with railcannon on the biggest threat, coin-redirect for precision, swap to other weapons during cooldown.
Uses Malicious and Electric railcannon variants to delete priority targets instantly. Railcannon shots bounced off coins deal double damage. Requires good target prioritization since railcannons have long cooldowns.
What makes this role work: The synergy between Core Eject Shotgun and blood healing creates a gameplay loop that offers reliable performance. Core gear like Malicious Railcannon, Electric Railcannon, Marksman Revolver, Coins amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Most versatile option
- Clear stat priority (Burst Damage, Cooldown Management, Target Priority) makes gearing straightforward
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Lower peak damage than S-tier
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
A-Tier: Coin Trickshotter
Maximizes the coin mechanic for style points and guaranteed weak-point hits. Tossing multiple coins and shooting through them chains damage across the arena. The flashiest playstyle and the path to ULTRAKILL rank on style meter.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Weapon | Attractor Nailgun | Alt-fire places a magnetic point on any surface or enemy. |
| Core Gear | Marksman Revolver, Coins, Malicious Railcannon, Core Eject Shotgun | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Coin Accuracy, Style Meter, Multi-Target Damage | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | coin flipping | The Marksman Revolver's alt-fire tosses a coin. |
How to Play Coin Trickshotter
Toss coins constantly, chain shots through them for auto-aim headshots, maximize style rank.
Maximizes the coin mechanic for style points and guaranteed weak-point hits. Tossing multiple coins and shooting through them chains damage across the arena. The flashiest playstyle and the path to ULTRAKILL rank on style meter.
What makes this role work: The synergy between Attractor Nailgun and coin flipping creates a gameplay loop that offers reliable performance. Core gear like Marksman Revolver, Coins, Malicious Railcannon, Core Eject Shotgun amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Best survivability
- Clear stat priority (Coin Accuracy, Style Meter, Multi-Target Damage) makes gearing straightforward
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Slower clear speeds
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
B-Tier: Nailgun Shredder
Uses Attractor and Overheat nailgun variants for sustained area damage. The Attractor nailgun's magnet pulls all nails toward a target, concentrating damage. Overheat nails create explosions when detonated by other weapons.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Weapon | Malicious Railcannon | Fires a beam that deals massive damage and creates an explosion at the point of impact. |
| Core Gear | Attractor Nailgun, Overheat Nailgun, Shotgun (detonator), Whiplash | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Sustained DPS, Area Coverage, Combo Damage | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | weapon swapping combos | Switching weapons mid-combat is essential for maintaining style rank and maximizing DPS. |
How to Play Nailgun Shredder
Tag enemies with magnets, shred with nails, detonate overheat nails with shotgun blasts for explosions.
Uses Attractor and Overheat nailgun variants for sustained area damage. The Attractor nailgun's magnet pulls all nails toward a target, concentrating damage. Overheat nails create explosions when detonated by other weapons.
What makes this role work: The synergy between Malicious Railcannon and weapon swapping combos creates a gameplay loop that provides a unique approach. Core gear like Attractor Nailgun, Overheat Nailgun, Shotgun (detonator), Whiplash amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Strong in group/team content
- Clear stat priority (Sustained DPS, Area Coverage, Combo Damage) makes gearing straightforward
- Excels in its niche
Cons:
- Weaker solo performance
- Requires deep game knowledge
B-Tier: Rocket Surfer
Incorporates rocket launcher movement tech into combat. Rocket surfing provides unmatched air mobility while Firestarter rockets leave persistent fire zones. The most mobile build but requires precise rocket aim to not self-damage.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Weapon | Firestarter Rocket Launcher | Rockets leave a trail of fire on surfaces, creating persistent damage zones. |
| Core Gear | Firestarter Rocket Launcher, Freezeframe Rocket Launcher, Shotgun, Whiplash | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Air Mobility, Area Denial, Rocket Accuracy | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | movement tech | Bunny hopping, slam jumps (ground pound for height), dash chaining, and whiplash grappling form the movement system. |
How to Play Rocket Surfer
Stay airborne with rocket jumps, rain down Firestarter rockets for area denial, shotgun for close encounters.
Incorporates rocket launcher movement tech into combat. Rocket surfing provides unmatched air mobility while Firestarter rockets leave persistent fire zones. The most mobile build but requires precise rocket aim to not self-damage.
What makes this role work: The synergy between Firestarter Rocket Launcher and movement tech creates a gameplay loop that provides a unique approach. Core gear like Firestarter Rocket Launcher, Freezeframe Rocket Launcher, Shotgun, Whiplash amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Unique, rewarding playstyle
- Clear stat priority (Air Mobility, Area Denial, Rocket Accuracy) makes gearing straightforward
- Excels in its niche
Cons:
- High skill floor, punishing when misplayed
- Requires deep game knowledge
Build Progression Path
- Start with Railcannon Specialist — the most forgiving option for learning the game
- Transition to Shotgun Main once you understand core mechanics and have access to Piercer Revolver
- Keep a Coin Trickshotter setup for content that keeps killing you
- Try Rocket Surfer for a fresh experience once you've mastered the basics
Gearing Tips
- Invest in your primary weapon first — it gives the biggest power spike
- Core Eject swap-cancel: fire the shotgun, immediately switch weapons and switch back, fire again. This bypasses the pump animation and doubles your fire rate.
- Punching enemies with the Feedbacker (default arm) parries most projectiles back at the sender. Parried Mindflayer beams one-shot them.
- Don't spread upgrade resources across multiple builds until endgame
See our tier list for current meta rankings, or the beginner's guide if you're just getting started.
