How to Get Guns in Dead Island 2

Bashing in zombies’ skulls with a bat, hammer, or any other melee weapon is a great time in Dead Island 2, but sometimes you need to deal some damage from afar. That’s where guns come in. Despite having a huge focus on melee combat, Dead Island 2 features a large arsenal of firearms that’ll help you cull the undead hordes plaguing the streets of Hell-A. You won’t be able to get your hands on a gun until a certain point in the game though, so keep reading on to learn how you can start shooting sooner rather than later.

How to Get a Gun in Dead Island 2

Guns are unlocked after completing the 10th main story mission called “Justifiable Zombicide” in Dead Island 2. After completing the main story quest “Michael Anders and the Holy Grail” at Monarch Studios, you’ll get a call from Sam B. He’s found a stash of weapons back in Bel Air, and that’s how you’ll get your first firearm. You’ll reach Monarch Studios roughly 5-6 hours into Dead Island 2. You’ll be sent there after surviving the Halperin Hotel and Beverly Hills.

Related: All 4 Dead Island 2 Weapon Types Explained: Maiming, Frenzy, Headhunter, and Bulldozer

When you get the mission, just follow the quest marker and you’ll meet up with Sam to break into a celebrity’s house and raid their stash. You’ll receive a single-shot sharpshooter rifle automatically during this mission. It comes equipped with a long-range scope and deals increased critical damage, making it a bonafide headshot machine.

After completing this quest, guns will become available for purchase in shops and start appearing as normal loot from chests and slain zombies. They’ll still be much rarer than melee weapons — and you’ll have to worry about ammo to boot — but you can thankfully upgrade them at workbenches to keep them at the appropriate level. That is, as long as you have the cash to do so.

There are several types of firearms in Dead Island 2 that can be found throughout the game’s 10 zones. In addition to the sharpshooter rifle you receive from the mission with Sam B, you can also find pistols, two types of shotguns, automatic assault rifles, machine pistols, and even nail guns. They can be equipped with mods and upgraded at workbenches just like regular weapons too, letting you add a shocking twist or a flaming punch to your ammunition if you desire.