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.