The Resident Evil 4 remake’s first shotgun shouldn’t be upgraded, despite how tempting it may be. The weapon category is one of the most solid and reliable sources of damage in the game, being able to effectively clear out hordes of enemies, either by permanently killing them or by incapacitating them with limb removals, for instance. Fortunately for players in control of Leon S. Kennedy, different shotguns can be found throughout the game, giving them more options when dealing with Ganados to protect Ashley. The first one, known simply as Shotgun, can actually be found early on, which is great for taking out the normal infected villagers who pose a smaller threat.

After finding the first shotgun in Resident Evil 4's remake, players will have a chance to see how effective the weapon is. Although resources, like shotgun shells, will be scarce - RE4 is a survival horror game, after all - it will prove to be an effective tool in Leon’s inventory, and will likely be the player’s best friend during the early stages of the title. Players will be given the chance to upgrade the first shotgun they find and, although they would get great bonuses from performing the upgrade, they should actually hold back and not upgrade the weapon at all.

You Shouldn't Upgrade Your First Shotgun In Resident Evil 4 Remake

Resident Evil 4 Remake's Leon looks towards something off-screen, close to the camera's angle. Behind him is a barn and some trees.

Players shouldn’t upgrade the first shotgun in the Resident Evil 4 remake simply because it is not worth it. Of course, the weapon will become more effective but, as mentioned before, there are more shotguns available in the survival horror title. The first shotgun is great for the early stages and only that - players will gain access to a broader arsenal quite early as well. The first shotgun will clear out weaker opponents with ease, but when stronger ones start showing up, especially those with shields, the firearm will prove itself somewhat ineffective. If players continue to use it, even upgraded, they will see themselves wasting ammunition, which is valuable.

Which Resident Evil 4 Remake Shotgun You Should Upgrade

A Resident Evil 4 Remake Ganado villager with a potato bag with eye holes over their head and a chainsaw in their hands. Beside them is a staircase, where there is a severed hand lying around.

After avoiding upgrades to the first shotgun in the remake, the best option is to save money and buy the second shotgun, also known as the Riot Gun, from Resident Evil 4's Merchant. With that done, they should sell their first shotgun, as they will no longer be using it - and this will clear out inventory space. This is a better overall choice regarding resource management, especially considering how long the Riot Gun remains in Leon’s inventory before being able to buy the third and final shotgun, Striker. The second shotgun is a much better weapon than the first, and it can handle the aforementioned shielded opponents.

After acquiring the Riot Gun, players should focus on upgrading it, as the third shotgun, Striker, takes a longer time to acquire and is much more expensive - it costs 43,000 pesetas compared to Riot Gun’s 32,000 pesetas. Throughout most of the game, especially during the middle portion, Resident Evil 4’s Leon will be using the Riot Gun, which justifies why this should be the preferred weapon. On top of that, it has a great range (for a shotgun) due to its tighter pellet spread, allowing players to eliminate most threats from a safer distance rather than putting themselves within reach of ganados.

That is not to say that the Riot Gun shotgun in the Resident Evil 4 remake does not work well at close-range. It does, incredibly so, but it is a boon that it can shoot at longer ranges. The Riot Gun lacks the punch and capacity of a fully upgraded Striker, but it is well-known for its firepower. In fact, this is its strongest trait, and the main reason players should be upgrading the second shotgun instead of the one that they find early on. Even upgraded, the first shotgun does not reach Riot Gun’s firepower potential, which is more than enough to justify why it is the best choice.

Using The Exclusive Upgrade Tickets In Resident Evil 4 Remake

Leon aiming a pistol in Resident Evil 4 Remake while fire burns behind him.

In total, players will need to spend a sum of 415,000 pesetas to fully upgrade the Riot Gun shotgun in the Resident Evil 4 remake. The number of pesetas can be significantly reduced by using a Resident Evil 4 Exclusive Upgrade Ticket. The item will pay off the required pesetas for the weapon’s Exclusive Upgrade. While the standard upgrades are all extremely valuable to fine-tune and maximize the shotgun’s overall performance on the field, the Riot Gun’s Exclusive Upgrade is absolutely necessary once players have the resources. With it, they will see the shotgun’s power increase by 1.5x, which makes a significant difference against the Resident Evil 4 remake's enemies.

When the Exclusive Upgrade is mixed with the other firepower upgrades that Riot Gun has, it becomes even more understandable why this is a better shotgun in Resident Evil 4 than the first one. Ironically, it will still deal a little less damage than the first shotgun, but the Riot Gun’s ammo capacity, reload speed, rate of fire, and uncalculated range are all much better than the stats on the first shotgun. This makes it the optimal choice among Leon’s arsenal during most parts of the survival horror game.

How To Get Resident Evil 4 Remake’s Riot Gun Shotgun

An image of Resident Evil 4 Remake's Merchant NPC. He has a backpack and rests his arms on top of a table, which has guns and books on it.

Of course, before upgrading the weapon, players should actually acquire it. As mentioned previously, the Riot Gun shotgun in Resident Evil 4's remake can be bought fairly early on, though not as early as the first shotgun. The second shotgun in the game can be acquired from the Merchant for a total of 32,000 pesetas. Although players do meet The Merchant before this occasion, the weapon will only be shown in the NPC’s sales inventory when Leon first enters Salazar Castle and encounters him. This occurs almost immediately after leaving the village.

Players should have the necessary resources to buy the Riot Gun shotgun in Resident Evil 4 Remake as soon as the Merchant offers it. If they do not, they should consider selling the first shotgun, provided its 9,280 pesetas sell price adds up with the amount they already have to be enough to buy the Riot Gun. If not, they should hold on to the first shotgun a little longer and gather enough pesetas. Resident Evil 4's remake is now available for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC (via Steam).