Key Takeaways
Guillotine is a Power-class submachine gun whose value comes from conventional automatic fire and close-to-mid-range pressure rather than a special targeting system.
Power SMG identity
Guillotine uses the Power weapon system. With compatible current-system cyberware, its rounds can ricochet from suitable surfaces, giving it a different handling profile from Smart and Tech SMGs.
Tier changes the reference point
Its damage and progression state depend on the weapon tier and any applicable plus level. A single observed roll should not be treated as the universal Guillotine stat line.
Strong at sustained pressure
As an SMG, Guillotine is suited to keeping nearby targets under sustained fire while moving through close and medium engagements, especially when raw target acquisition is more important than long-range precision.
Range is its main trade-off
Its compact automatic-weapon role makes it less suitable for distant precision work than rifles or precision weapons, and sustained fire can place greater demands on ammunition and recoil control.
An X-MOD2 variant exists
Guillotine has an X-MOD2 variant in the post-2.0 weapon ecosystem. That variant should be treated as a distinct Iconic-family entry rather than as a cosmetic name change to every ordinary Guillotine.
Conventional fire distinguishes it
Compared with Smart SMGs, Guillotine does not provide Smart-weapon target guidance; compared with Tech SMGs, it is not defined by charging shots for penetration. Its appeal is direct Power-weapon fire and ricochet potential.
Overview
Guillotine is a standard Power submachine gun in Cyberpunk 2077, built for players who want compact automatic fire without moving into a rifle-sized weapon. Its identity comes from its Power-weapon behaviour and close-to-mid-range role rather than from an Iconic quest effect or a unique narrative association.
The Guillotine occupies the practical SMG space in Cyberpunk 2077. It is a conventional, non-Iconic weapon rather than a named quest reward with a bespoke modifier, so its value is determined primarily by its weapon class, Power technology, tier, and the way it fits into a character’s combat routine. That makes it a progression and loadout choice rather than a lore-significant acquisition.
As a Power weapon, the Guillotine belongs to the firearm family whose projectiles can interact with the environment through the game’s ricochet system when the relevant conditions are met. This separates it from Smart weapons, which use targeting assistance, and Tech weapons, whose identity is tied to charging and penetration behaviour. The distinction is functional, not merely cosmetic, and should guide comparisons with other SMGs.
In use, the Guillotine is most naturally considered when a build needs a mobile automatic weapon for engagements where an SMG is more convenient than a full-size rifle. It can support aggressive movement and sustained pressure at practical combat distances, while its suitability still depends on its current tier, attached modifications, perks, and the player’s broader weapon choices. Those variables matter more than a universal ranking.
The current post-2.0 weapon framework is essential context for this firearm. Tiered equipment means that the Guillotine’s displayed performance is not a single timeless value, and base-game and Phantom Liberty-era availability should not be assumed to be identical without checking the relevant item pool. This overview therefore treats it as a standard Power SMG whose role is stable, while leaving exact numbers, acquisition details, and progression rules to their dedicated sections.
Statistics
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Class | Submachine Gun |
| Subtype | Submachine Gun |
| Technology | Power |
| Ammo | Handgun Ammo |
| Stat Scaling | Tier-dependent |
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Content Scope | Base game / free update |
Figures verified against Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
Compared to similar submachine guns
| Attribute |  Guillotine | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class | Submachine Gun | Submachine Gun | Submachine Gun | Submachine Gun | Submachine Gun |
| Technology | Power | Power | Smart | Smart | Power |
| Ammo | Handgun Ammo | Handgun Ammo | Handgun Ammo | Handgun Ammo | Handgun Ammo |
How to Obtain
- 01Check standard weapon vendors throughout Night City for the Guillotine. It is a conventional firearm rather than a fixed quest reward, so vendor stock depends on character progression and the weapon tier currently being offered; purchase it when the Guillotine appears in the vendor’s inventory.
- 02The Guillotine can also appear as ordinary weapon loot from enemies and containers. These loot appearances are not a guaranteed drop from a named boss or mission, so searching vendors is the more direct acquisition method when available.
Mechanics and Handling
Guillotine is a Power submachine gun whose handling is defined more by sustained automatic fire and close-to-mid-range pressure than by precision at long distance. It does not have a charge cycle, alternate firing sequence, or melee-style weapon action that changes its basic attack pattern; its practical role is to keep targets under fire while the user manages aim, recoil, and ammunition. Exact handling can still vary with the weapon’s tier and the equipped perks or cyberware.
Automatic fire and engagement distance
The Guillotine’s automatic fire makes it suitable for short engagements and moving fights where repeated hits matter more than carefully timed single shots. At longer distances, its spread and recoil make sustained fire less forgiving, so controlled bursts can help keep shots on target even when the game permits continuous fire. This is a handling recommendation based on its submachine-gun role, not a separate weapon mode or hidden damage modifier.
Its compact firearm role also makes target tracking important. Keeping the reticle on the opponent’s centre mass is generally more reliable than trying to force repeated headshots while the weapon is being fired continuously; headshot performance remains subject to the current weapon tier, enemy defenses, and the game’s normal hit-resolution rules.
Power-weapon projectile behaviour
As a Power weapon, Guillotine can participate in Cyberpunk 2077’s ricochet system when the relevant cyberware and targeting support are available. Ricochets are conditional: they depend on the required equipment, a suitable surface, and a valid firing angle. They are not a permanent Guillotine-specific secondary attack, and the weapon should not be treated as if every shot will bounce.
Without that supporting setup, its bullets should be handled as ordinary direct-fire projectiles. The Power classification therefore matters most when comparing Guillotine with Tech or Smart alternatives, rather than because it grants an unconditional bonus in every encounter.
Reloads, ammunition, and special effects
Guillotine uses ordinary firearm ammunition within the game’s standard ammunition system. It has no recalled weapon-specific resource loop, return mechanic, charge requirement, or built-in status effect that needs to be activated separately. Reload timing remains an important interruption during sustained fire, so firing until empty is less safe when enemies are close or when leaving cover would expose V.
The base weapon should be distinguished from any separately documented variant, such as a tiered or modified version. Tier, attachments, perks, cyberware, and temporary combat effects can alter the result of using Guillotine, but those changes should not be mistaken for inherent mechanics of the base weapon.
Upgrades and Variants
Strengths, Weaknesses and Best Uses
Strengths
- As a Power submachine gun, Guillotine can support ricochet-based shooting when the relevant cyberware and targeting setup are available, allowing shots to reach enemies behind suitable cover or at offset angles.
- Its SMG format provides sustained automatic fire for quickly pressuring exposed targets at close to medium range.
- The weapon fits naturally into mobile gunplay: its role rewards short engagements, repositioning and repeated bursts rather than holding a distant sightline.
Weaknesses
- SMG spread and damage falloff make Guillotine less dependable at long range than a rifle or precision weapon, especially when accurate hits on small targets matter.
- Ricochet is conditional on the appropriate cyberware and a suitable surface or angle; without that setup, the Power classification does not provide a guaranteed damage advantage.
- Sustained fire consumes ammunition quickly and can make missed shots costly during prolonged encounters.
Best uses
- Close- and medium-range firefights where automatic fire can keep pressure on enemies while V moves between cover.
- Power-weapon setups using ricochet-supporting cyberware, provided encounters offer surfaces that can redirect shots toward protected targets.
- Crowd engagements and finishing exposed enemies when a compact automatic weapon is more practical than a slower precision firearm.
Compared With Similar Weapons
| Attribute | Guillotine |  Fenrir |  Buzzsaw |  Yinglong |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Technology | Close-to-mid-range SMG | Close-range SMG | Sustained-fire SMG | Close-to-mid-range SMG |
| Role | A straightforward Power SMG choice for players who want conventional firearm handling without Smart targeting or Tech charging. | A Power-SMG alternative with a distinctive Iconic effect, making it more specialized than the standard Guillotine. | A Power-SMG alternative suited to builds that can exploit its Iconic firing behaviour; Guillotine is the less specialized baseline option. | Better suited to a Smart Weapons setup and its targeting requirements, while Guillotine avoids that cyberware and perk dependency. |
| Distinctive consideration | — | — | — | — |
