Big Bang
The Big Bang is a unique scattergun that fires particle-beam damage (roughly 38 physical + 113 energy per trigger, via Heavy Particle Fuse) instead of normal pellets. Because it benefits simultaneously from Shotgun Certification and Particle Beam Weapons, it has a higher effective damage ceiling than any other close-range weapon at its tier — turning even early-mid playthroughs into "damage machines" and scaling well with late-game perk stacking.
Role
Close-range breacher with the game's highest CQB ceiling.
Core Mechanic
Shotgun-pattern particle fire (physical + energy) that double-dips Shotgun Certification AND Particle Beam Weapons skills.
Rarity
Exceptional (unique)
Weapon
Particle Beam Shotgun
Overall Tier
OverallAPlaystyle
Scattergun firing particle-beam damage instead of ballistic pellets.
Recommended Builds
CQB breacher
Full guide →Push corners and boarding actions; stack Shotgun + Particle Beam skills for the game's top close-range ceiling.
X-Tech close-range monster
Full guide →Spread/crit/overcharge X-Tech mods; an Exceptional roll stays S-adjacent in late-2026 guides.
Best Attachments
- Dual-skill scaling (innate) — Its whole identity — one gun rides two damage skills; nothing to reroll away.
- Spread / choke mods — Tighten the particle pattern to extend effective range.
- Kismet / overcharge (Tier 4 X-Tech) — Crit/overcharge rolls push the already-huge close-range burst.
Strengths
- +Highest effective close-range damage ceiling at its tier.
- +Double-scales off Shotgun Certification and Particle Beam Weapons.
- +Strong from early-mid game all the way through late perk stacking.
Weaknesses
- −Close-range only — sharp falloff past a few metres.
- −Heavy Particle Fuse ammo is expensive and scarce.
- −Being an Exceptional unique, a clean roll is a chase.
Why This Tier
A on the Overall axis — the top close-range/breacher weapon of the 2026 meta, held just under S by its range limits.