Night City hides its best treasures in plain sight, and the iconic shotgun known as Guts is no exception. This weapon, a modified Budget Arms Carnage, is a heavy-hitting piece of hardware that has become a staple for any Solo looking to maximize close-quarters devastation. Unlike many iconic items that are locked behind complex questlines or high-level boss fights, Guts is available to anyone brave enough to navigate the corporate heart of the city. Here is exactly where you need to go to add this neon-green monster to your arsenal.

The Heart of Corpo Plaza

To find Rebecca's shotgun, you must head to the City Center district, specifically the Corpo Plaza. This is the circular hub dominated by the massive Arasaka Tower and the surrounding corporate monoliths. The exact spot is within the Memorial Park, the lush, multi-layered green space situated in the center of the ring road.

Navigating this area can be disorienting due to its verticality and the sheer scale of the buildings. The most efficient way to get there is by using the Arasaka Tower fast travel point. Once you arrive, look for the large glass-floored area in the center of the park. You want to stay on the upper level of the park greenery rather than heading down into the lower transit tunnels.

Identifying the Landmark: The Three Monks

Finding the weapon requires looking for a specific set of NPCs that serve as a permanent landmark. As you walk around the upper perimeter of the Memorial Park, head toward the section of the park that sits almost directly across from the Militech building.

In a grassy area near the edge of the circular path, you will encounter three Buddhist monks meditating on the ground. They are hard to miss, as their orange robes contrast sharply with the sterile corporate surroundings. These monks are the key marker for Guts. Just a few meters behind them, tucked deep inside a dense bush, lies the shotgun.

As you approach the correct shrubbery, the orange iconic loot icon will appear on your HUD. There is no crate or body; the gun is simply resting on the soil, a silent remnant of a chaotic past. Pick it up, and it is yours immediately—no strings attached, no NCPD stars triggered.

Technical Breakdown of Guts (Post-Update 2.0)

In the current state of the game, Guts has been rebalanced to fit the Tier-based progression system. If you pick it up at a high level, it will likely drop as a Tier 5+ or Tier 5++ weapon, making it one of the most powerful kinetic tools in your inventory.

Damage and Status Effects

Unlike the standard Carnage shotgun which deals purely physical damage, Guts is specialized for Chemical damage. This gives it a significant advantage against organic targets and certain robotic units susceptible to corrosion. It has a high chance to apply the Poison status effect on every hit. Given the sheer number of pellets fired per shell, you are almost guaranteed to poison any enemy that survives the initial blast.

The Recoil Challenge

One of the defining characteristics of Guts is its violent recoil. It is not an exaggeration to say that this gun kicks like a mule. When fired, the barrel flips upward significantly, making follow-up shots difficult if you are not prepared. This is a "Power" weapon, meaning its projectiles ricochet off hard surfaces, but managing the bounce is secondary to managing the kick.

To handle Guts effectively, a minimum Body attribute of 10 is highly recommended. Without sufficient strength, the recoil becomes even more erratic, and your movement speed while aiming will be severely penalized. If you are running a high-Body "Solo" build, this weapon becomes a centerpiece of your strategy.

Combat Strategy and Build Synergy

Guts is not a weapon for the stealthy or the faint of heart. It is a tool for aggressive, high-mobility combat. To get the most out of this iconic shotgun, you should focus your character development on specific areas of the Perk tree.

The Body Tree: Obliteration

The most important perks for Guts are found in the Body tree, specifically the Obliteration branch. Perks like "Die! Die! Die!" and "Like a Feather" are essential. These reduce the stamina cost of firing and eliminate the movement speed penalty associated with heavy shotguns. At higher levels, the "Rip and Tear" perk allows you to follow up a quick melee attack with a shotgun blast for massive bonus damage—a perfect combo for Guts' high-impact nature.

Cyberware Integration

To mitigate the extreme recoil, consider installing the Titanium Bones or other skeletal upgrades that improve weapon handling. More importantly, the Microgenerator and Feedback Circuit cyberware can turn your reloads into offensive opportunities. Since Guts has an 8-shell capacity (higher than the standard 5-shell Carnage), you will be reloading frequently. Cyberware that triggers shocks or heals you upon emptying a clip works exceptionally well here.

If you use a Sandevistan or Kerenzikov, Guts becomes even more terrifying. Being able to slow down time allows you to compensate for the massive recoil and manually readjust your aim between each devastating blast. In slow motion, the spread of the chemical pellets becomes a wall of death that few enemies can navigate.

Why Guts Remains a Top-Tier Choice

In the current meta, many players gravitate toward high-tech weapons or precision rifles. However, Guts remains a top-tier choice for several reasons:

  1. Stagger Potential: The impact force of this shotgun is high enough to stagger even heavy bosses and elite Arasaka guards. A point-blank shot can knock most human-sized enemies off their feet.
  2. Ammo Capacity: Having 8 rounds before needing a reload is a significant upgrade over the base Carnage. It allows you to clear a small room without the vulnerability of the long reload animation.
  3. Fall Damage Mitigation: A long-standing community trick—though partially adjusted in recent patches—is using the weapon's massive recoil to slow your descent. Firing Guts toward the ground just before landing a long fall can occasionally prevent lethal damage, though this is risky and requires precise timing.

Final Tips for Retrieval

  • Early Game Access: You can head to Corpo Plaza as soon as the lockdown on Watson is lifted at the start of Act 2. Getting Guts early can carry you through the mid-game with ease.
  • Level Scaling: Since iconic weapons can now be upgraded using components rather than requiring a specific crafting skill, don't worry about the level at which you find it. You can always bring it up to Tier 5++ as you progress.
  • Visual Cues: If the bush is too thick to see the gun, use your scanner (TAB on PC, L1/LB on consoles). The scanner will highlight the weapon through the foliage, making it much easier to interact with.

Adding Guts to your collection is more than just a stat boost; it's a statement. It’s a weapon that demands respect and a specific playstyle to master. Head to the Memorial Park, find the monks, and claim your prize.