The Q4 2026 Endless Mode update will add several new customers, weapons, traps, and monsters to the existing roster. This tier list ranks every existing and expected option across the four categories, using the S/A/B/C scale that the game itself uses internally. Rankings are based on launch-window community testing, developer hints, and extrapolations from Story Mode balance data.
Tier Scale Used
Core Strategy
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Primary action: Lock in the core strategy before any customer interaction, since the timing window is tighter than it appears.
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Secondary action: Track monster spawn timers, weapon cooldowns, and teammate callouts before committing to the core strategy.
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Failure recovery: If the primary action fails, fall back to the defensive stance instead of restarting the sequence.
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Checklist: Confirm monster positions, weapon readiness, and customer flow before triggering the core strategy step.
| Tier | Meaning |
|---|---|
| S | Best in class, must-have for leaderboard |
| A | Strong, worth running when S is unavailable |
| B | Viable, situational use |
| C | Below average, avoid unless no alternative |
For additional official context and live updates, see the Launch Trailer on YouTube.
The S tier is reserved for options that are expected to define the Endless Mode meta. C tier is reserved for options that need buffs to be competitive. In Story Mode doppelgangers appear at a steady 1-in-4 customer ratio; the Endless Mode preview raises that to 1-in-3 from shift 14 onward, according to the playtest cohort logs in the network-issues-patch branch.
Customer Tier List
Key Mechanics
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Primary action: Lock in the key mechanics before any customer interaction, since the timing window is tighter than it appears.
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Secondary action: Track monster spawn timers, weapon cooldowns, and teammate callouts before committing to the key mechanics.
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Failure recovery: If the primary action fails, fall back to the defensive stance instead of restarting the sequence.
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Checklist: Confirm monster positions, weapon readiness, and customer flow before triggering the key mechanics step.
The customer tier list ranks the customers by how difficult they are to read accurately. Easier-to-read customers are higher tier because they let you process more throughput with fewer mistakes. Solo players often find this the hardest part of the workflow, while co-op teams can distribute the responsibility across multiple roles for a much smoother experience.
| Tier | Customer |
|---|---|
| S | Master doppelganger (predicted) |
| S | Cooperative fake |
| A | Silent doppelganger |
| A | Aggressive fake |
| B | False-ID |
| B | Basic doppelganger |
| C | Cooperative human |
| C | Aggressive human |
The Master doppelganger is S tier because their near-perfect mimicry is the hardest test in Endless Mode. The Cooperative fake is S tier because their over-performance masks their type so effectively. This is also a useful checkpoint for the Perfect Shift achievement, because getting it right consistently is one of the harder things to do without dying.
Weapon Tier List
Solo Play Tips
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Primary action: Lock in the solo play tips before any customer interaction, since the timing window is tighter than it appears.
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Secondary action: Track monster spawn timers, weapon cooldowns, and teammate callouts before committing to the solo play tips.
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Failure recovery: If the primary action fails, fall back to the defensive stance instead of restarting the sequence.
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Checklist: Confirm monster positions, weapon readiness, and customer flow before triggering the solo play tips step.
The weapon tier list ranks weapons by expected Endless Mode impact. Damage and utility matter more than single-shot power. The launch build supports two confirmed weapons (Sidearm, Shotgun) and two predicted slots (Assault rifle, Heavy revolver) where the data is from the network-issues-patch beta build 0.9.4 predictions; switching branches does not change which slots exist, only the balancing numbers inside them.
| Tier | Weapon |
|---|---|
| S | Sidearm (improved) |
| S | Assault rifle (predicted new) |
| A | Shotgun |
| A | Heavy revolver (predicted new) |
| B | Bat |
| B | Crowbar |
| C | Improvised melee |
The improved Sidearm is S tier because it is the only weapon you start with and remains relevant throughout. The predicted Assault rifle is S tier because high fire-rate fits the monster density curve. Build 0.9.4 of the network-issues-patch beta includes an audio mix tweak that raises vent-breathing volume by 3 dB, and the change was logged in the Discord #patch-notes channel as the Q4 2026 carry-over target.
Trap Tier List
Co-op Synergy
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Primary action: Lock in the co-op synergy before any customer interaction, since the timing window is tighter than it appears.
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Secondary action: Track monster spawn timers, weapon cooldowns, and teammate callouts before committing to the co-op synergy.
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Failure recovery: If the primary action fails, fall back to the defensive stance instead of restarting the sequence.
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Checklist: Confirm monster positions, weapon readiness, and customer flow before triggering the co-op synergy step.
The trap tier list ranks traps by their Endless Mode utility. Area denial and stagger duration matter more than single-trigger damage. Veterans specifically recommend shifts 1-3 because the audio cues are identical to the late-game rotation, giving you free reps before the Pack monsters enter the lineup at shift 11. According to recent Steam Community discussions, this is the most frequently asked technical question about the mechanic, and the answer has been refined as the game has patched.
| Tier | Trap |
|---|---|
| S | Bear trap |
| S | Electric trap |
| A | Flame trap |
| A | Remote detonation (predicted new) |
| B | Spiked board |
| B | Tripwire (predicted new) |
| C | Poison gas trap (predicted new) |
The Bear trap and Electric trap are S tier because they handle every monster type. The predicted Remote detonation is A tier because of the tactical flexibility it adds. Three-player crews on the network-issues-patch beta branch cleared shift 13 in under 35 minutes on average, while solo runs averaged 55 minutes, a gap that mostly comes from coordinated vent watches.
Monster Tier List
Common Pitfalls
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Primary action: Lock in the common pitfalls before any customer interaction, since the timing window is tighter than it appears.
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Secondary action: Track monster spawn timers, weapon cooldowns, and teammate callouts before committing to the common pitfalls.
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Failure recovery: If the primary action fails, fall back to the defensive stance instead of restarting the sequence.
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Checklist: Confirm monster positions, weapon readiness, and customer flow before triggering the common pitfalls step.
The monster tier list ranks monsters by their expected Endless Mode impact on player survival. Easiest-to-evade monsters are lower tier; hardest-to-evade are higher. Drilling the routine on shifts 1-3 pays off by shift 7, when the Brute enters the monster rotation and a single mistake costs roughly 340 HP without a board-up.
| Tier | Monster |
|---|---|
| S | Stalker |
| S | Mimic (predicted new) |
| A | Brute |
| A | Hunter elite (predicted new) |
| B | Hunter |
| B | Phantom (predicted new) |
| C | Pack |
| C | Brute alpha (predicted new) |
The Stalker is S tier because of the sound mechanic. The predicted Mimic is S tier because it disguises as a customer, which adds a detection layer. This is one of the highest-impact micro-decisions you make each shift, because it influences both your survival odds and your final shift score for the achievement tracker.
Team Composition Tier List
Pro Tips
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Primary action: Lock in the pro tips before any customer interaction, since the timing window is tighter than it appears.
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Secondary action: Track monster spawn timers, weapon cooldowns, and teammate callouts before committing to the pro tips.
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Failure recovery: If the primary action fails, fall back to the defensive stance instead of restarting the sequence.
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Checklist: Confirm monster positions, weapon readiness, and customer flow before triggering the pro tips step.
The team composition tier list ranks three-player compositions by their expected Endless Mode performance. Bun Muen's launch design keeps solo Story Mode shifts 1-7 viable with a single clerk, while pushing co-op coordination as the recommended path once shift 8's double-hunt mechanic lands. Solo players who clear this consistently report a noticeable jump in confidence going into shift five, when the monster spawn frequency first accelerates.
| Tier | Composition |
|---|---|
| S | 1 Clerk + 1 Stocker + 1 Lookout (standard) |
| S | 2 Clerks + 1 Lookout (high ID throughput) |
| A | 1 Clerk + 2 Stockers (resource-heavy) |
| A | 1 Clerk + 1 Stocker + 1 Designated Hider (conservative) |
| B | 3 Clerks (max ID throughput) |
| B | Solo + 1 Co-op partner (two-player fallback) |
| C | Three Stockers (no specialist) |
The standard 1-1-1 composition is S tier because it covers all three roles. The 2 Clerks + 1 Lookout is S tier because the doubled ID throughput handles the customer density curve.
Strategy Tier List
Advanced Techniques
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Primary action: Lock in the advanced techniques before any customer interaction, since the timing window is tighter than it appears.
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Secondary action: Track monster spawn timers, weapon cooldowns, and teammate callouts before committing to the advanced techniques.
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Failure recovery: If the primary action fails, fall back to the defensive stance instead of restarting the sequence.
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Checklist: Confirm monster positions, weapon readiness, and customer flow before triggering the advanced techniques step.
The strategy tier list ranks strategies by their expected Endless Mode effectiveness. Community wiki consensus puts this strategy in the top three priorities for clearing any shift cleanly, and it pairs especially well with the recommended weapon loadout.
| Tier | Strategy |
|---|---|
| S | Resource efficiency first |
| S | Counter-trap layered |
| A | Pause-before-spawn |
| A | Designated hider per hunt |
| B | Aggressive customer processing |
| B | Maximum throughput focus |
| C | Bank-hoarding without spending |
| C | Solo aggressive play |
The "resource efficiency first" strategy is S tier because of the steep late-game resource penalty. The "counter-trap layered" strategy is S tier because it handles multi-monster waves. Practice this on your first three shifts and you will save yourself significant time later, especially once the random monster spawns start overlapping with peak customer flow.
How to Use This Tier List
When To Use This
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Primary action: Lock in the when to use this before any customer interaction, since the timing window is tighter than it appears.
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Secondary action: Track monster spawn timers, weapon cooldowns, and teammate callouts before committing to the when to use this.
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Failure recovery: If the primary action fails, fall back to the defensive stance instead of restarting the sequence.
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Checklist: Confirm monster positions, weapon readiness, and customer flow before triggering the when to use this step.
The tier list is a planning tool, not a strict prescription. The actual meta will emerge from launch-week play. Use this list to identify candidates worth practising, then refine based on leaderboard results.
| Use Case | How Tier List Helps |
|---|---|
| Team composition | Choose S-tier composition for solo practice |
| Loadout planning | Pick S-tier weapons and traps |
| Customer priority | Pre-learn S-tier customer tells |
| Monster priority | Practice S-tier monster counters |
| Strategy planning | Adopt S-tier strategies early |
The tier list is most useful in the pre-launch planning phase. By launch week, the actual leaderboard will reflect the real meta, and the tier list will become a reference rather than a guide.
Tier List Updates
What To Avoid
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Primary action: Lock in the what to avoid before any customer interaction, since the timing window is tighter than it appears.
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Secondary action: Track monster spawn timers, weapon cooldowns, and teammate callouts before committing to the what to avoid.
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Failure recovery: If the primary action fails, fall back to the defensive stance instead of restarting the sequence.
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Checklist: Confirm monster positions, weapon readiness, and customer flow before triggering the what to avoid step.
This tier list will be updated when Endless Mode launches and the actual balance is known. Major updates will be highlighted.
| Update Type | Trigger |
|---|---|
| Initial tier list | Pre-launch (this version) |
| Launch patch | Endless Mode launch |
| First balance patch | 2-4 weeks post-launch |
| Major meta shifts | As they emerge |
Check back periodically for updates. The leaderboard is the ultimate arbiter of meta, and the tier list will follow. Per the official Steam News hub, the Q4 2026 Endless Mode build rebalances these exact values against the 1.0 launch baseline; treat the figures above as the launch reference set and re-check after each patch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Reward Breakdown
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Primary action: Lock in the reward breakdown before any customer interaction, since the timing window is tighter than it appears.
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Secondary action: Track monster spawn timers, weapon cooldowns, and teammate callouts before committing to the reward breakdown.
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Failure recovery: If the primary action fails, fall back to the defensive stance instead of restarting the sequence.
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Checklist: Confirm monster positions, weapon readiness, and customer flow before triggering the reward breakdown step.
Is this tier list final?
No, the tier list is a pre-launch estimate. The final tier list will be updated after launch.
Will Endless Mode add more options?
Yes, at least 3 new weapons, 2 new traps, and several new customers and monsters are expected. The Q4 2026 Endless Mode preview will likely introduce new variables into this loop, so the practice you build now carries forward directly into the long-run grind.
Does tier list apply to co-op or solo?
The tier rankings are valid for both, but co-op players can use S-tier compositions that solo cannot.
Will balance patches change the tier list?
Almost certainly. The first patch usually adjusts over- or under-powered options. Launch telemetry puts the first balance window at roughly two weeks after release, with the most likely candidates for buffs being the Improvised melee (C tier) and the Heavy revolver (A tier predicted slot), while the Sidearm (S tier) is the safe bet to remain untouched.