Sniper Elite 5: Complete Guide

A campaign and multiplayer companion for Karl Fairburne's 1944 Brittany operation: ballistics, stealth and sound masking, workbench loadouts, the nine campaign missions, kill-list targets, Axis Invasion, co-op, Survival and the DLC missions.

Researched September 2026 — current as of the December 2024 patch, the latest Sniper Elite 5 update. Rebellion has since released Sniper Elite: Resistance (January 2025) and announced Alien Deathstorm for 2027, so no new SE5 content is expected. Check the linked sources if something differs.

Quick Start

• Mask your shots. Unsuppressed rifle fire alerts everyone in earshot. Fire when sound masking is active — aircraft flyovers, loud machinery, sabotaged generators, bells or artillery — and the shot blends in.
• Use Empty Lung. Holding your breath while scoped slows time and steadies aim. On lower difficulties a red marker shows exactly where the round will land.
• Tag everything with binoculars. Tagged enemies stay visible through walls, which turns every approach into a plan instead of a guess.
• Find the workbenches. Each mission has workbenches that unlock weapon parts and let you change your loadout mid-mission. Finding them is also the main way to grow your arsenal.
• Relocate after a loud shot. Enemies converge on where the sound came from; move before they arrive and let them search the empty spot.
• Carry a quiet close-range option. A suppressed pistol or secondary handles the guard around the corner without burning your position.
• Pick your entry point. Missions offer several infiltration and extraction points. Scout the map and choose the approach that suits your loadout.
• Difficulty changes the physics. Higher settings add stronger wind and bullet drop and remove aids. Authentic-level play is for experienced snipers.

Ballistics and Aiming

Factor | What to do

Gravity | Aim higher at long range; the further the target, the bigger the drop

Wind | On harder difficulties, compensate using the wind indicator

Heart rate | Sprinting and climbing raise it and make the scope sway; rest before important shots

Ammo type | Subsonic for quiet shots, armour-piercing for armoured targets, non-lethal to knock enemies out

Barrel and stock | Workbench parts trade stability, range, velocity and noise

Scope | Magnification helps at range but narrows your view — choose per mission

The famous X-ray kill cam triggers on skilled shots (long range, organ hits, headshots). It can be turned down or off in settings if it breaks your flow.

Stealth and Sound

• Bushes and tall grass hide you. Crouch or go prone near patrol routes.
• Distractions such as thrown objects pull guards away from posts.
• Silent takedowns from behind, then hide bodies so patrols do not find them.
• Officers and alarms first. An officer who spots a body or raises an alarm makes the whole area harder.
• Sabotage for noise. Many generators and machines can be damaged to create a sound-masking loop you control.
• Watch the detection indicator. It shows which direction suspicion is coming from and how close you are to being spotted.

Gadgets and Traps

Tool | Use

Grenades | Area damage; loud

Mines and tripwires | Cover your back while you snipe; guard your escape route

Explosives (e.g., TNT) | Destroy objectives or set traps

Rocks and distractions | Lure guards out of position

Bandages and medkits | Healing

Tip: set a tripwire or mine on the path behind your sniping position before firing. When the patrol comes looking, it handles the first responder.

Workbench Loadouts

Weapon type | Suggested setup

Sniper rifle | Stable stock, scope suited to the map, subsonic ammo for stealth runs

Secondary (SMG or shotgun) | Suppressed for stealth, or high damage for when things go wrong

Pistol | Suppressed pistol for quiet close work

• Workbenches unlock parts; mission rewards and levelling add more.
• You can swap loadouts at any workbench in a mission, so adapt once you know the layout.
• Custom ammo types (subsonic, armour-piercing, non-lethal) change how you approach a level.

Campaign Missions

Mission | What to expect

1. The Atlantikwall | Coastal village of Colline-sur-Mer and its fortifications; teaches the core systems and ends with meeting the Resistance

2. Occupied Residence | Möller's chateau (Chateau de Berengar): a large estate with a kill-list officer and multiple routes

3. Spy Academy | Beaumont-Saint-Denis, where a high-ranking Nazi meeting reveals Operation Kraken; widely praised as the best level

4. War Factory | The Martressac production facility building war machinery and submarine stealth plating

5. Festung Guernsey | A fortified island near Guernsey where a prototype U-boat is being tested

6. Liberation | Desponts-sur-Douve after the Normandy landings: clear the village and secure Allied transport routes

7. Secret Weapons | A Massif Central facility testing V-2 rockets

8. Saint-Nazaire | The U-boat pen town where Operation Kraken's fleet is kept

9. Finale | A return to Möller's chateau to stop him before he escapes

Mission 8 and 9 are listed here by location; check the in-game mission select for their exact titles.

Kill-list targets

Most missions have a kill-list target — a senior officer with several special elimination methods (unique kills tied to intel you find in the level). Read documents and eavesdrop on conversations; they reveal routines and opportunities. Special kills count toward challenges and achievements.

Collectibles and challenges

• Workbenches — unlock weapon parts; the most valuable collectible.
• Collectible items (hidden objects to find or shoot in each level) — tracked on the mission summary.
• Personal letters and documents — lore and sometimes kill-list intel.
• Mission challenges — distance shots, specific kills, stealth goals. They add XP and replay value.

Tip: finish a mission once your way, then replay with intel you have already found to set up the special kill.

Progression

• XP from kills, objectives and challenges levels Karl up.
• Skill points unlock perks across several skill categories (combat, stealth and equipment-style upgrades).
• Weapon mastery from use unlocks parts and cosmetics.
• Early skills that help most: better healing, quieter movement and extra carrying capacity.

Axis Invasion

Another player can invade your campaign as an Axis sniper whose goal is to hunt you down.

• As Karl: stay mobile, avoid obvious sniping spots, keep an eye on your surroundings, and use traps to watch your back. You can call a friendly sniper to help in some situations.
• As an invader: blend with AI soldiers, use the map and interactions to track Karl, and let Karl make noise first.
• Disable invasions in the game's online settings if you want a pure solo run.

Co-op and Multiplayer

Mode | Details

Campaign co-op | Two players through the campaign, sharing ammo and items, healing and giving orders

Survival | Up to four players against waves of enemies

Adversarial multiplayer | 16-player competitive modes with loadouts and progression

Co-op tips: split roles (one scouts and tags, the other snipes), coordinate shots during sound masking, and revive quickly.

DLC

DLC | Type

Target Führer: Wolf Mountain | Mission (originally a pre-order bonus)

Rough Landing | Mission and weapon pack

Landing Force | Mission and weapon pack

Kraken Awakes | Mission and weapon pack

Conqueror | Mission, weapon and skin pack

Concealed Target, Death From Above, Saboteur, Up Close and Personal | Weapon and skin packs

P.1938 Suppressed Pistol | Weapon

Season Pass 1 and Season Pass 2 bundle most of these; check the Deluxe Edition's store listing for exactly what it includes. Rebellion runs frequent Steam sales, and the French Collection bundles SE5 with Sniper Elite: Resistance.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Firing without sound masking and then wondering why every guard is on you.
• Ignoring heart rate — shaky scopes miss.
• Skipping binocular tagging.
• Missing workbenches, which leaves you with weak loadouts.
• Staying put after a loud shot.
• Using the rifle at close range instead of a pistol or secondary.

Advanced Tips

• Explosive targets (fuel, grenades on belts) give multi-kills and satisfying kill cams.
• Non-lethal ammo helps with challenge runs and keeps alarm levels low.
• Scout alternate infiltration points to bypass heavy defences.
• Chain masking: time several shots during a single flyover or machine cycle.
• Set traps on your exit route before engaging a kill-list target.
• Replay missions with intel for special kills and challenges.

FAQ

Is Sniper Elite 5 still updated? The latest patch was released in December 2024. No further updates have been announced.

Can I stop other players invading? Yes, disable invasions in the online settings.

How many campaign missions are there? Nine, plus DLC missions.

Is there co-op? Yes: two-player campaign co-op and four-player Survival.

Should I play Sniper Elite: Resistance instead? Resistance is a standalone story running parallel to SE5 with a new protagonist, Harry Hawker. Mechanics are similar; play whichever setting appeals.

What difficulty should I choose? A middle difficulty for your first run; the highest settings add wind and bullet drop and remove aids.

Sources

• Sniper Elite 5 on Steam
• Sniper Elite 5 Steam news (December 2024 patch notes, DLC listings)
• Sniper Elite 5 — Wikipedia