16 Gauge Shotgun

Lore & Background

In the Halcyon system, where everything is branded, catalogued, and sold under the Monarch Corporation's watchful eye, firearms are no exception. The 16 Gauge Shotgun sits in the middle of the colonial armory's hierarchy: too crude for a security officer's display case, too effective to ban outright. Its pump-action mechanism is simple enough that a miner on Edgewater can cycle a round after a twelve-hour shift without thinking, and its spread means you don't need the steady hand of a long-range rifle to put a target down.

The weapon's design echoes the game's broader aesthetic of 1970s pulp sci-fi crossed with a small-town hardware store. There are no glowing energy coils or holographic targeting reticles—just a ribbed receiver, a wooden or polymer stock, and the satisfying mechanical clack of the pump. In a universe where the Monarch Corporation has commodified every aspect of life, a shotgun is one of the few things that still feels like it was made by hands rather than a marketing department.

Players who favor close-quarters combat often gravitate toward shotguns early on, and the 16 Gauge becomes a familiar companion through the first stretch of the story. It's the weapon you pull when a hostile colonist drops behind a counter, when a security bot rounds a corner too fast to aim a rifle, or when you simply want to make a point with as much noise as possible.

In Their Own Story

The corridor on the Monarch smelled of recycled air and burnt coffee. You'd been following the maintenance shaft for six minutes, listening to the hum of the ship's life-support thrumming through the deck plating. Then the sound changed—a boot scuffing metal, a muffled cough, the soft click of a sidearm being drawn.

You didn't have time to line up a careful shot. You racked the 16 Gauge with one hand, pressed the stock into your shoulder with the other, and put the whole cone into the gap between the bulkhead and the doorframe. The report was enormous in the narrow space, a wall of sound and orange flash that lit every rivet and conduit in the corridor. The figure on the other side of the panel stopped moving.

You raked the pump again. The chamber was empty. You set the shotgun down on the deck plating, listened to the silence that followed, and kept walking toward the bridge.

Reader's Guide

16 Gauge Shotgun Type: Shotgun (pump-action) Tier: Common

Stat block: Moderate damage in a wide cone spread. Light weight, making it easy to carry alongside other gear. No special perk or modifier—its value is pure, reliable area damage at close to mid range. Requires 12 Gauge Shells, which are among the most common ammunition types in early Halcyon.

Where to find it: The 16 Gauge Shotgun is available very early in the game. You can typically locate one aboard the Monarch's lower decks or in the first settlement you visit. It also appears as a possible vendor stock item at early-game armory shops. It is not quest-gated and is not exclusive to any DLC.

Tips: Because it is common-tier, you will likely outgrow it quickly. However, its wide spread makes it excellent for clearing multiple low-HP enemies in a tight space, and it pairs well with perks that boost shotgun or area damage. If you find a higher-tier shotgun later, the 16 Gauge is a fine trade-in or salvage item.

Flavor note: The weapon's description in-game leans into the game's deadpan corporate-satire tone, referring to it in the same matter-of-fact language the Monarch Corporation uses for everything else—like it's just another line item in a shipping manifest rather than a tool for ending someone's day.

Did You Know?

• The Outer Worlds' weapon tiers are color-coded in the inventory UI, and the 16 Gauge Shotgun's common tier is marked in plain white, visually distinguishing it from the rarer green, blue, purple, and orange weapons.
• Shotguns in The Outer Worlds deal damage in a visible cone pattern, and the 16 Gauge's spread is wide enough to hit multiple targets standing side by side in a narrow corridor.
• The game's retro-futuristic design language—wood stocks, mechanical pumps, and analog dials—deliberately contrasts with the high-tech corporate setting, reinforcing the satire of a world where advanced technology coexist
• 12 Gauge Shells, the 16 Gauge Shotgun's ammunition, are one of the most widely available ammo types in early Halcyon, making the shotgun an accessible option for players who prefer close-range combat.