Players of Ghost Recon: Breakpoint who prefer to dish out damage up close won’t go wrong with Shotguns. Ever the reliable close-ranged firearm, Shotguns in Ghost Recon: Breakpoint function much like other shotguns in FPS games with multiple loading setups that serve just as much pain to opponents who unfortunately end up on the other end of the barrel.
However, players looking for more efficient combat options should choose the right Shotgun for their playstyle. Considering the tactical nature of Ghost Recon: Breakpoint, players can’t get reckless with Shotguns even with their awesome firepower. Thankfully, certain Shotguns set themselves apart from the competition.
8 SASG-12
- Damage: 80
- Rate of Fire: 300
- Magazine: 12
- Ammo Type: 12 Gauge Ammo
- Reload Time: 3.15
Fans of Rainbow Six Siege would remember the SASG-12 as the Shotgun of choice for Operatives Fenrir, Finka, and Kapkan, and its full-auto nature makes it a recommended starting weapon in a player’s first Ghost Recon: Breakpoint playthrough.
Despite its average accuracy and range, the SASG-12 possesses decent mobility that could prove enough to aid players in tricky situations up close. Its full-auto nature gives the SASG-12 enough firepower to damage enemies quickly, although its middling damage numbers make this Shotgun more of an emergency utility than an active weapon in heavy firefights.
7 RU-12SG Assault
- Damage: 90
- Rate of Fire: 300
- Magazine: 5
- Ammo Type: 12 Gauge Ammo
- Reload Time: 3.15
Gamers who try the RU-12SG Assault in their Ghost Recon: Breakpoint playthroughs may notice this Shotgun’s similarities with the SASG-12, a design motif due to its real-life counterpart the Vepr-12 being a direct competitor of the Saiga-12. In Breakpoint, the RU-12SG Assault boasts better handling and overall DPS in exchange for a semi-auto firing mode.
This Assault variant is an upgrade of the initial RU-12SG, this time having more significant damage in exchange for harsher recoil. Although slower compared to its automatic counterparts, the semi-auto nature of the RU-12SG can make quick work of enemies up close before players even need to reload.
6 ACS-12
- Damage: 80
- Rate of Fire: 300
- Magazine: 20
- Ammo Type: 12 Gauge Ammo
- Reload Time: 3.15
Breaking convention from the traditional barrel-heavy Shotgun is the ACS-12, a full-auto Shotgun that provides quite a heavy-hitting close-ranged juggernaut when paired with the best Ghost Recon: Breakpoint ability. Placing attachments such as the STG Extended Magazine and STG Muzzle Brake on top of the RU Collimator Sight and a Tactical Vertical Foregrip can give this weapon 84 Damage and 32 ammo per mag, making it quite a versatile melee killer.
Compared to other Shotguns, the average recoil of the ACS-12 means its high rate of fire could be controlled more efficiently, with decent mobility providing much-needed maneuverability at such a short range. Its middling accuracy and range may result in a harsh spread when shooting point-blank, so players are still advised to practice precision aiming even when fighting with the ACS-12 up close.
5 SPAS-12
- Damage: 80
- Rate of Fire: 300
- Magazine: 8
- Ammo Type: 12 Gauge Ammo
- Reload Time: 0.85
The Franchi SPAS-12 is a recognizable Shotgun across various modern shooters, courtesy of its rugged appearance and notable dual-action capacity. The latter is retained in Ghost Recon: Breakpoint, where players can enjoy the SPAS-12’s pump-action or semi-automatic firing modes depending on their needs.
Although boasting somewhat near-average accuracy and handling, its relatively high recoil and low range still make the SPAS-12 heavily reliant on short-range combat. However, its high mobility can make the weapon quite maneuverable in intense situations, enabling players to switch targets quickly or reposition when needed. Despite its short ammo supply per mag, the SPAS-12’s flexible firing modes make it a recommended Shotgun for close-range lovers.
4 BOSG-12
- Damage: 128
- Rate of Fire: 220
- Magazine: 2
- Ammo Type: 12 Gauge Ammo
- Reload Time: 3.10
Players looking at the BOSG-12 might be surprised that this Ghost Recon weapon doesn’t have an immediate real-life inspiration, with the Mossberg Maverick HS12 Thunder Ranch being the closest in appearance and performance. At first glance, the BOSG-12 might turn off players with its 2-shot mag capacity in Ghost Recon: Breakpoint. After all, this setup makes using the BOSG-12 risky in prolonged incursions due to the need to reload almost every few seconds.
However, where the BOSG-12 shines is its practicality as either an emergency weapon or for reckless close-range assaults. Its subpar stats across accuracy and handling make it quite challenging to handle at longer distances, meaning the BOSG-12 is good to whip out for a one-two punch at a tougher opponent and use its hefty reload time to reposition. Likewise, the BOSG-12 handles well should players decide to slide down to the battlefield, aim for a point-blank blast, and switch to their primaries for Rambo-style craziness.
3 Silverback KSG-12
- Damage: 120
- Rate of Fire: 130
- Magazine: 14
- Ammo Type: 12 Gauge Ammo
- Reload Time: 0.85
The Kel-Tec KSG-12 is known for its two-tube mag that lets users manually choose which barrel shots come from, resulting in punchier attacks at the expense of a more evident decrease in speed. In a player’s Ghost Recon: Breakpoint experience, the KSG-12’s real-life performance is reflected with having much higher accuracy in exchange for harsher recoil.
Theoretically, the high accuracy of the KSG-12 can make it viable for mid-range scoped hits, with the slower rate of fire giving players room to reposition regardless of their shot’s results. Players looking into more practical plays could have the KSG-12 as a melee firearm in closed-room incursions, especially since pausing between shots could make for excellent cues for more active movement.
2 M590A1
- Damage: 164
- Rate of Fire: 310
- Magazine: 8
- Ammo Type: 12 Gauge Ammo
- Reload Time: 1
Made available in the Amber Sky crossover between Ghost Recon: Breakpoint and Rainbow Six Siege is the M590A1, originally from the Mossberg 500 series of hunting rifles that eventually became a standard-issue law enforcement weapon due to its practicality and handling. This is reflected in its Breakpoint gameplay, where the M590A1 presents decent maneuverability and firepower up to around 10 meters.
With the right strategy, the pump-action Shotgun can give players a satisfying clicking motion whenever they blast enemies up close, making this great for tactical yet rhythmic short-range incursions. Although it makes quite the sacrifice regarding firing rate, its higher damage output still makes it a reliable secondary firearm in most basic setups such as pairing this Shotgun with a Breakpoint Assault Rifle.
1 M4
- Damage: 140
- Rate of Fire: 420
- Magazine: 8
- Ammo Type: 12 Gauge Ammo
- Reload Time: 1.0
Already a staple shotgun in various military shooters, the Benelli M4 appears alongside the Ghost Recon: Breakpoint best gear as one of the best semi-automatic Shotguns players can have in their arsenal. Its fast firing rate on top of its quick reload speed makes the M4 extremely lethal in short-range incursions, with its 140 Damage capable of killing most opponents in a single blast.
Although other Shotguns in the game can fire rounds much faster than the M4, the clickity-clack of the M4’s semi-auto nature can make for more precise shots. Eagle-eyed players can use the split-second difference between firing each shot to quickly reposition the Shotgun, possibly scoring multiple kills on adjacent opponents.
Ghost Recon: Breakpoint is available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.