Sniper Elite V2: Complete Guide

A player's guide to Rebellion's 2012 Berlin sniping game (and its 2019 Remastered edition): ballistics, stealth, the campaign by objective, collectibles, co-op and achievements.

Researched September 2026 — current as of the final builds of Sniper Elite V2 and Sniper Elite V2 Remastered (released May 13–14, 2019; no newer content announced on Steam). Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

Which version should you play? When checked in September 2026, the Steam store data for the original Sniper Elite V2 (app 63380) listed no purchasable package, while Sniper Elite V2 Remastered (app 728740) is on sale — both as a full game and as a discounted upgrade for owners of the original. The Remastered edition includes every DLC (including the "Assassinate the Führer" mission), photo mode, updated visuals, seven extra playable characters from the Zombie Army series, and up to 16-player online. Everything below applies to both versions unless noted.

Quick Start

Tag everything with binoculars first. Tagged enemies stay marked, which is the difference between a clean stealth run and a panic.
Hold your breath before every long shot. Steadying your aim slows perceived time and shows you where the bullet will land on assisted settings. On realistic settings you compensate for bullet drop and wind yourself.
Mask your shots. Firing a rifle while a loud sound plays (artillery, bells, engines, planes) hides your position. There's even an achievement for it ("Ear Plugs").
Relocate after you're heard. Enemies converge on your last known position. Take a shot, move, take another.
Lay trip mines behind you. When you set up in a sniper nest, mine the stairs/doors that lead to it. Flanking squads walk into them.
Shoot explosive objects. Fuel tanks, grenades on belts, and barrels take out groups and armor — including tanks via their fuel supply.
Crouch/prone matters. Stance affects stability. Go prone for the longest shots.
Use your silenced pistol for close stealth kills. Save rifle ammo and don't give away your position.
Collectibles exist: hidden bottles to snipe and stolen gold bars to find, each with an achievement.

Story Setup

It's spring 1945. You are Karl Fairburne, an elite US sniper parachuted into Berlin during the final German stand as the Red Army closes in. Your job: stop the Soviets from getting their hands on V2 rocket scientists and technology — help the defectors reach the Americans and eliminate those who would help the Russians. Names you'll run into include Müller and Wolff (key targets tied to the V2 program) and Kreidl during the convoy mission.

Core Mechanics

Ballistics

Factor	What it does	How to handle it
Gravity (bullet drop)	Rounds fall over distance	Aim above targets at long range on realistic settings
Wind	Pushes rounds sideways	Lead into the wind; watch the indicator on harder settings
Velocity/travel time	Moving targets need leading	Aim ahead of walkers; "Gung Ho" rewards 100 moving-target kills
Penetration	Rounds can pass through targets	Line up two enemies for one shot ("Double Dose")
Aim stability	Heart rate and stance shift your aim	Rest, crouch/prone, then hold breath
Ricochet	Rounds can bounce	A ricochet headshot is its own achievement ("Pass the Buck")

Difficulty settings control how much of this is simulated. Lower settings give you more aiming assistance and forgive ballistics; the highest setting leaves the wind and drop to you. The "Sniper Elite" achievement asks for every mission on the highest difficulty.

The X-Ray Kill Cam

Skilled shots (long range, headshots, organ hits) trigger a slow-motion bullet camera ending in an X-ray view of the damage. It's cosmetic but it tells you exactly what you hit. You can reduce how often it plays in the options if it breaks your flow. The Remastered edition's photo mode lets you pause and move frame by frame through these shots.

Stealth and detection

Enemies have awareness indicators; stay out of sight lines and use shadows and cover.
Unsuppressed rifle shots reveal your position unless masked by noise.
Bodies and noises draw attention. Move after every loud shot.
"Silent but Deadly" asks for 25 covert kills on unaware enemies — pistol and knife-range kills stack this quickly.

Weapons and gear

The game uses authentic WWII weapons. The store page highlights the Springfield M1903, Gewehr 43 and Mosin-Nagant 1891/30 rifles. You also carry a sidearm (including a silenced option for stealth), an SMG for emergencies, grenades, trip mines and other explosives. Some of the original DLC packs also added extra weapons.

Slot	Use
Sniper rifle	Your main tool; one-shot kills with good placement
SMG	Panic button when enemies reach you
Silenced pistol	Quiet close kills
Trip mines	Protect your nest; kill flankers ("Mousetrap Fuse")
Grenades/explosives	Groups and vehicles

Campaign Walkthrough by Objective

The Steam achievements follow the main campaign objectives, so they make a handy checklist of the story beats in order:

Order	Objective	Achievement
1	Escape the German assault	Trainee Sniper
2	Stop the convoy	Novice Sniper
3	Destroy the V2 facility and escape	Apprentice Sniper
4	Hold off the Russian advance	Journeyman Sniper
5	Stop the execution	Skilled Sniper
6	Collect intel from the church and escape	Pro Sniper
7	Eliminate Müller	Expert Sniper
8	Uncover Wolff's plan	Master Sniper
9	Discover the V2 launch site's location	Veteran Sniper
10	Destroy the V2 rocket	Feared Sniper
11	Prevent Wolff from escaping	Legendary Sniper

General approach per level:

Enter quietly and find a vantage point.
Tag every visible enemy with binoculars.
Mine the approaches to your vantage point.
Wait for noise cover (or accept being heard), take your key shots, relocate.
Clear stragglers with the silenced pistol before moving on.

Level-specific achievements to watch for:

Get Off the Ground — kill the convoy members from ground level (excluding Kreidl).
Fish Tank — send a tank into the river by blowing the bridge.
Fuel Tank — destroy a tank by sniping its fuel supply.
High and Mighty — wipe out the elite Russian sniper team from the rooftops.
Kilroy was Here — make it through the tower to the winch room unseen.

DLC Missions

All four are included in Remastered; in the original they were separate purchases.

DLC	Setting	Notable challenge
Assassinate the Führer	Alternate-history mission in the Salzburg area	The headline "Kill Hitler" mission
The Neudorf Outpost Pack	Fuel dump in the Harz Mountains	"Silence is Golden" (no alerts); "Smoking Kills" (kill 6 smoking soldiers)
The Landwehr Canal Pack	Night mission in Berlin targeting generals	"Watchmen" (kill all 5 watching snipers unseen); "You were only supposed to..." (let all 3 commanders into the command centre, then blow the doors)
St. Pierre	Assassinate General Rodebrecht	"Secret Service" (kill all guards before the church undetected); "Shoot the Alps" (4,000 m total shot distance)

Collectibles

Collectible	What to do	Achievement
Hidden bottles	Find and snipe every hidden bottle across the campaign	Jungle Juice
Stolen gold bars	Find and pick up every gold bar	Gold Rush

Both are under 3% completion on Steam, so use a per-level collectible checklist from the community and pick up missed ones via mission select.

Co-op and Multiplayer

Co-op (2 players):

Kill Tally — hold out against escalating waves together.
Overwatch — one player is the operative on the ground, the other is the sniper covering them. The spotter tags ("Target Spotted!" needs 50 tags), the sniper shoots tagged targets ("Target Eliminated!").
Bombing Run — find parts to repair a vehicle and escape before the bombing ("Bomb Happy" needs 10 survivals).
The campaign is also playable in co-op; reviving your partner 10 times earns "Bedpan Commando".

Competitive: Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch, Distance King (team and solo), Dogtag Harvest, Capture the Flag and No Cross. Remastered supports up to 16 players. As of 2026 public lobbies are quiet for both versions — co-op with a friend is the realistic option.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Firing from the same spot repeatedly. Every unmasked shot tells the enemy where you are.
Skipping binoculars. Untagged enemies flank you.
Not mining your nest. Trip mines are your rear guard.
Ignoring the environment. Explosives and fuel tanks are faster and quieter than long firefights.
Leaving the X-Ray cam fully on during tense sequences. It interrupts your timing; reduce its frequency.
Starting on the highest difficulty blind. Learn the maps first; the top setting removes aim assistance.

Advanced Tips

Breath timing: hold your breath only when you're ready to fire — it runs out, and "Iron Lung" (30 cumulative minutes) comes naturally anyway.
Grenade cook-offs: you can snipe grenades on an enemy's webbing; from 100 m it earns "Cooking Off" and usually kills a group.
Accuracy runs: "Make Every Bullet Count" needs 100% accuracy using only rifles on one level — pick a short level and use the pistol for nothing.
No-damage run: "Hide and Hope" requires finishing a level without being shot; choose a level you know well and play pure stealth.
Marathon distance: "Go the Distance" is cumulative sniped kill distance equal to a marathon; long-range shots on the DLC maps add up fastest.
Kill count: "World Record" needs 506 cumulative sniper kills — Kill Tally co-op is a quick way to farm them.

FAQ

Is the original Sniper Elite V2 still sold on Steam? When checked in September 2026, the original listed no purchasable package, but Sniper Elite V2 Remastered is available, with an upgrade discount for owners of the original.

Do I need to play Sniper Elite (2005) first? No. V2 is a standalone reimagining; the story needs no prior knowledge.

How long is the campaign? Short by modern standards — a handful of evenings, plus DLC missions.

Can I play the whole campaign in co-op? Yes, the campaign supports co-op, plus the dedicated co-op modes.

What does Remastered add? All DLC, photo mode, overhauled visuals with 4K support, seven playable Zombie Army characters, and up to 16-player multiplayer.

What's the rarest achievement? The DLC and co-op challenges ("Shoot the Alps", "Secret Service", "Bomb Happy") and the collectibles sit around 2–3% of players.