Best Explosive Weapon in GTA Online (2026): All 10 Ranked

📅 Checked on 11 September 2026

The Homing Launcher is the best explosive weapon in GTA Online: the only launcher that locks on to vehicles and aircraft, 500 damage on a direct hit, $75,000 with no rank requirement. The RPG does the same job against anything that sits still, from rank 100. The Minigun is the other heavy weapon worth owning, at 1,500 damage per second.

#	Weapon	Why it is here	Tier
1	Homing Launcher $75,000	The only launcher that locks on, to vehicles and to aircraft, for 500 damage on a direct hit. $75,000 with no rank requirement.	S
2	RPG $26,250 or $36,500 · rank 100	A direct hit destroys any target, but it does not lock on, so a moving jet is a guess. Unlocks at rank 100.	A
3	Minigun $47,000 or $50,000 · rank 120	1,500 damage per second, five times the fastest assault rifle. Unlocks at rank 120.	A
4	Grenade Launcher $32,400 · rank 60	500 on a direct hit and ten grenades before a reload, where every launcher above holds one. $32,400 at rank 60.	A
5	Railgun $730,000	A rocket's 500 on a direct hit, at 20 shots a minute, for $730,000.	B
6	Compact Grenade Launcher $45,000	One grenade at a time, but it is the only heavy weapon you can fire from a motorbike.	B
7	Widowmaker $449,000	The Minigun's file values for $449,000 instead of $47,000.	B
8	Compact EMP Launcher $525,000	No damage at all: it disables a vehicle instead. A tool for specific missions, at $525,000.	C

Homing Launcher or RPG?

The Homing Launcher, against anything that moves. It locks on and the RPG does not, which is the whole difference against a jet, a helicopter or a car at speed. The RPG destroys any target it hits directly, so against a parked vehicle or a slow one it does the same job, and it is cheaper. It unlocks at rank 100; the Homing Launcher has no rank requirement at all.

The Launchers That Hold More Than One Shot

Every launcher above the Grenade Launcher holds a single round. The Grenade Launcher holds ten, fires 75 a minute and does 500 on a direct hit, 75 at the edge of the blast, so it is the one to carry when there are several targets rather than one. It is also the only heavy weapon that takes attachments. None of the ten has a Mk II conversion.

What About Sticky Bombs?

They are thrown weapons, not heavy weapons, so they are not in the ten below. For a vehicle you can walk up to, they are hard to beat: 500 damage on contact, $600 each, unlocked at rank 19, and you choose the moment they go off. For anything at range, a launcher.

Every Heavy Weapon in GTA Online

Ten in every list we checked. Damage is the game file's value for a direct hit and for the edge of the blast; the rate of fire is measured in game, marked where only the file value exists. Two prices vary: the RPG ($26,250 or $36,500) and the Minigun ($47,000 or $50,000). The rank requirements agree.

Weapon	Direct hit	Blast edge	Rounds per minute	Magazine	Price	Notes
Homing Launcher	500	50	15	1	$75,000	Locks on to vehicles and aircraft. No rank requirement.
RPG	n/a	n/a	n/a	1	$26,250 or $36,500 rank 100	A direct hit destroys any target. No lock-on. The price varies.
Minigun	30	n/a	3000	9,999	$47,000 or $50,000 rank 120	30 per bullet at 3,000 rounds a minute: 1,500 damage per second.
Grenade Launcher	500	75	75	10	$32,400 rank 60	Ten grenades before a reload, the only heavy weapon that takes attachments.
Railgun	500	50	20	1	$730,000	Same direct-hit damage as a rocket, at 20 rounds a minute.
Compact Grenade Launcher	500	50	n/a	1	$45,000	The only heavy weapon usable in a drive-by, and only from a motorbike.
Widowmaker	30	n/a	3000	9,999	$449,000	The Minigun's values in the file, at nearly ten times the price.
Compact EMP Launcher	0	n/a	50 file	1	$525,000	Does no damage. It disables vehicles.
Firework Launcher	125	20	n/a	1	n/a	125 per direct hit, a quarter of a rocket.
Snowball Launcher	0.1	n/a	24 file	20	n/a	0.1 damage per snowball: it knocks people over and nothing more.

More GTA V Weapons on GTAside

The Minigun's 1,500 damage per second is five times the fastest assault rifle. For long range, the snipers, where the Heavy Sniper Mk II has explosive rounds of its own. The handguns, shotguns and SMGs and machine guns complete the GTA V weapons hub.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best explosive weapon in GTA Online?

The Homing Launcher. It is the only launcher that locks on, to vehicles and aircraft, and a direct hit does 500 damage. It costs $75,000 with no rank requirement, where the RPG needs rank 100.

RPG or Homing Launcher, which is better?

The Homing Launcher against anything that moves, since it locks on and the RPG does not. The RPG destroys any target it hits directly, so against a parked or slow vehicle it does the same job.

How many heavy weapons are there in GTA Online?

Ten: the RPG, the Homing Launcher, the Grenade Launcher and its compact version, the Compact EMP Launcher, the Minigun, the Widowmaker, the Railgun, the Firework Launcher and the Snowball Launcher. The Sticky Bomb is a thrown weapon, not a heavy weapon.

Can any heavy weapon be upgraded to Mk II?

No. None of the ten has a Mk II conversion. The Grenade Launcher is the only one that takes attachments.

How much damage does the Minigun do in GTA Online?

30 per bullet at 3,000 rounds a minute, 1,500 damage per second measured in game. The Widowmaker has the same values in the game file.

Are Sticky Bombs better than launchers?

For a vehicle you can walk up to, yes: 500 damage on contact, $600 each and unlocked at rank 19. You throw them, then detonate them. For anything at range, a launcher.