There is no single weapon that is the strongest for every player in Dying Light. The Korek Machete is a potent early-game choice with a repeatable blueprint; EXPcalibur is a high-damage sword that breaks quickly; and later Survival Rank progression and exotic-tier weapons can offer stronger options. Which one makes sense depends on your progression and whether you value damage, durability, or upgrades.
Get the Korek Machete early with its Slums blueprint
For an early-game weapon, the Korek Machete is a strong practical choice because you can craft it repeatedly from its blueprint. PowerPyx places that blueprint on a rooftop in the northern Slums. Its guide reports 500 damage, 35 hits of durability, and four upgrade slots; treat those as guide-reported figures rather than an official, current stat audit. PowerPyx’s weapon blueprint locations guide provides the route.
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Dying Light - PlayStation 4 (Renewed) | $31.98 | Buy on Amazon |
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Once you find the blueprint, use it to craft the weapon and apply upgrades compatible with the item. The repeat-crafting option is useful if a weapon wears out, but the machete is not a universal endgame winner: a community-maintained weapon reference says higher Survival Rank progression can surpass it. The Dying Light weapons reference discusses that progression.
Find EXPcalibur for damage, not durability
EXPcalibur is a distinctive sword found on a rock in the water in the Slums. PowerPyx’s guide says to hold the interaction button for a few minutes to remove the sword, then wait for the fire to go out before collecting its blueprint. The guide reports that the weapon breaks after seven hits, making it a poor choice if you need a durable weapon for sustained use. Check the interaction prompt and route in your own platform and game version, since controls can vary.
#1 Best Overall
- At night, the world undergoes a deadly transformation: the hunter becomes the hunted as the infected grow more aggressive and numerous, and something far more sinister awakens to stalk its prey
- Free Running Movement – Whether tracking prey or escaping predators, Dying Light lets players swiftly navigate the world by seamlessly leaping between buildings, grappling up walls and pouncing on unsuspecting enemies
- Dying Light is set in a vast open world, delivering expansive and varied environments, a wide variety of enemy classes and a hopeless tale of survival where resources are scarce and the infected are not the only threat
- Get up-close using a variety of light and heavy weapons including knives, bats, axes, sledgehammers and more exotic weaponry or utilize guns and other firepower to take down enemies from a distance
- Why use a wrench when you can use a wrench wrapped in electrified barb wire Dying Light's sizeable crafting system enables players to create a slew of new, more potent weapons and equipment, as well as specialized ammunition
See PowerPyx’s blueprint guide for its location instructions. Its seven-hit figure is a guide-reported value, not a guarantee for every version or edition.
Use later progression to pursue stronger weapons
The Korek Machete’s appeal is its early availability, not a promise that it remains the most powerful weapon throughout the game. As Survival Rank increases, other weapons can overtake early-game options. Compare weapons at your current stage rather than relying on a single old damage ranking: damage, durability, repair access, upgrade slots, and the time needed to obtain the weapon all affect how useful it is.
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- Dying Light is now bigger, better and scarier than ever before.
- Discover the untold chapter of Kyle Crane's story. Investigate a mysterious cult as you leave the quarantine zone and travel to a region bigger than all areas of the original game combined!
- Dying Light: The Following introduces the drivable dirt buggy that you can freely customize and upgrade with special weapons, attachments and decals to create your most deadly weapon yet.
- Get all the additional content ever released for Dying Light in one go;Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) Content Description: Intense violence
- Content includes Be the Zombie multiplayer mode, the Cuisine&Cargo challenge missions, the Ultimate Survivor Bundle, The Bozak Horde game mode, and much more.
Techland’s Community Update #3, published November 2, 2023, describes an exotic weapon tier with increased damage and possible special affixes. It says exotic weapons could be obtained through Pilgrim’s Outpost loot boxes, daily and weekly bounty loot boxes, Legend Levels, and replayable GRE Anomalies. These are the acquisition routes described in that 2023 update; their current availability or rotation is not established here. Read Techland’s Community Update #3.
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The same 2023 Techland update says weapons can be repaired at a Craftmaster using crafting resources and old world money. This gives you another consideration beyond raw damage: a weapon that can be maintained and upgraded may be more useful over time than a fragile high-damage find. Check the Craftmaster options available in your game before investing resources, as the cited update documents the system as described in 2023.
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- Includes: Dying Light 2 Stay Human and ‘Bloody Ties’ DLC. (DLC must be downloaded separately.)
- Enjoy the perks of more than 10 post-launch updates. Good luck out there, and stay human!
- VAST OPEN WORLD: Participate in the life of a city engulfed in a new dark era. Discover different paths and hidden passages, as you explore its multiple levels and locations
- CREATIVE & BRUTAL COMBAT: Take advantage of your parkour skills to tip the scales of even the most brutal encounter. Clever thinking, traps and creative weapons will be your best friends
- 2-4 PLAYER CO-OP GAMEPLAY: Play in up to four-player co-op. Host your own games or join others and see how their choices have played out differently than yours
- Choose Korek Machete if you want a strong early-game option with repeat crafting and reported upgrade slots.
- Choose EXPcalibur for its novelty and high-damage appeal, while accounting for the guide-reported seven-hit breakage.
- Look beyond both as your Survival Rank and Legend Levels progress, and compare the weapon drops and routes available in your current game.
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