All weapon manufacturers in Borderlands 3, explained

Borderlands 3 has millions and millions of different unique guns that you can get as part of the game's randomly-generated loot system. But one thing remains constant with all of them. They will come from one of nine different types of weapon manufacturers. These in-universe companies each pride themselves on having a particular kind of mechanic that only its weapons will have. And that mechanic will be present on all of its guns, regardless of what type of weapon it is.

This may seem confusing at first, but fear not my fellow Vault Hunters — I have you covered. Here's a comprehensive guide to every weapon manufacturer in Borderlands 3.

Corporate caliber: Hyperion

Hyperion, the big-bad corporation from previous Borderlands titles, is back in Borderlands 3, and its guns come with some interesting traits. When you aim down the sights with them, the deployable energy shield that's mounted on their chassis will pop up and give you some partial protection from enemy fire. In addition to this, the guns will slowly become more and more accurate as you hold down the trigger, right up until you're firing straight down the crosshair. This means that you'll want to avoid tap-firing with Hyperion weapons, as going full-auto will end up giving you much better accuracy.

Elemental stopping power: Maliwan

While all guns in Borderlands have a chance to have elemental damage properties, any firearm made by Maliwan is guaranteed to be elementally-charged. That means that this manufacturer will likely be your go-to if you want to build your character around fire, shock, or corrosive damage. In Borderlands 3, Maliwan's weapons come with two different elemental damage types that you can switch between depending on the situation. And you can also charge your shots for increased damage at the cost of a higher fire rate.

EXPLOSIONS, BABY: Torgue

Do you like blowing things up? If your answer to that question is "yes," than Torgue's explosive-focused arsenal is going to be right up your alley. Instead of bullets, Torgue's weapons fire explosive gyro-jet projectiles that travel slower but do increased damage per shot. They also have an alternate firing mode that allows you to shoot sticky projectiles that will adhere to foes and then can be detonated afterward. The more of these stickies you attach to an enemy before exploding them, the more damage they will do. Who needs bullets, anyway?

Lead sprayers: Vladof

Vladof cares about one thing and one thing only: putting as much lead downrange as possible in the shortest amount of time possible. This design focus means that its guns have ridiculously high fire rates. But as a result, they aren't going to be as accurate as other weapons, and you'll burn through your ammo pretty fast, too. Even so, Vladof's arsenal is excellent if you're looking for rapid, consistent damage. And its guns also come with some special attachments as well, like under-barrel grenade launchers or rocket launchers.

Automated awesomeness: Tediore

In previous Borderlands games, Tediore's weapons were unusual in that when you reloaded them, you threw them like a grenade. They exploded like one, too, blowing foes to pieces as a new one with a fresh magazine appeared in your hands afterward. This mechanic returns in Borderlands 3, but some of Tediore's guns in the game have an even wackier function: when you reload them, the gun will run around on its own two legs, shooting baddies all by itself. This means that Tediore weapons will be useful when you're up against groups of enemies. Each time you reload your gun you're essentially creating a temporary ally to fight with.

Welcome to the Wild West: Jakobs

Jakobs is a manufacturer that looks to the Wild West for inspiration, creating sleek, wood-trimmed guns that can fire as fast as you can pull the trigger and do massive critical hit damage, making them incredibly capable weapons in the hands of a player that can hit precise weak-spots consistently. People who aren't great at being accurate, though, will likely find Jakobs weapons underwhelming, as their advantages are geared towards marksmen. Bullets fired from a Jakobs firearm will also sometimes ricochet off of enemies and hit other foes.

Fire and forget: Atlas

The Atlas Corporation was absent in Borderlands 2. But they're making a return in Borderlands 3, and its weapons are some of the most high-tech ones you'll be able to obtain in the game. With them, you can tag foes with a tracker; then, when you shoot the gun, the bullets will heat-seek towards the enemies you've tagged with deadly precision. This makes them durable against mobile targets that would be more difficult to hit consistently with manually-aimed rounds, and in general you'll see a vast accuracy boost with weapons from Atlas' arsenal.

Tactical firing: Dahl

Dahl is a powerful militaristic corporation. And these roots have led to their firearms being tactical in nature. They offer a variety of different firing modes that the user can toggle between based on the various factors that influence gunfights. This makes Dahl weapons some of the most versatile ones you can find in the game. Although it's worth noting that their jack-of-all-trades nature means they inherently aren't specialized. And thus, they aren't the best guns you can equip for specialized tasks.

Screw needing ammunition: Children of the Vault (COV)

The Children of the Vault (COV for short) is the new enemy faction in Borderlands 3. And they too have created their brand of unique firearms for their troops to take into the fray. Unlike every other weapon in the game, the weapons made by the COV don't ever need to reload because they don't have magazines. However, their downside is that they are prone to overheating, which can lead to the user being unable to fire in a crucial moment. If the idea of a gun you don't need to reload appeals to you, and you don't mind it needing to cool down at times, then the weaponry of the COV will feel right at home in your hands.

Your thoughts

What do you think of each of the weapon manufacturers in Borderlands 3? Do you have a favorite one? If so, what about that manufacturer's traits appeals to your play style? Let me know your thoughts down below.

Borderlands 3 is available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC for $60.