Whisper

title: "Whisper" weaponClass: "SMG" rarity: "Named" baseDamage: 22000 rpm: 850 mag: 50 reload: 1.8 headshotMultiplier: 1.5

At a Glance

The Whisper is a Named silenced SMG that fills a niche almost no other weapon in The Division 2 covers as well: high-RPM, high-magazine, full-auto suppression. With a 22000 base damage value, 850 RPM and a generous 50-round magazine, Whisper is built to keep firing and keep firing — and its silenced design gives it a small handful of unique interactions that reward stealth-leaning playstyles.

The 1.5x headshot multiplier is on the lower end for SMGs, but Whisper does not lean on headshots for its damage. It is built around sustained body damage, fast TTK at close range, and a talent that turns its silencer from a flavor feature into an actual mechanical advantage.

Last reviewed: 2026-04-25 - TU22.1 - Verified vs in-game

Stats

Core numbers

• Base damage: 22000 per shot
• Rate of fire: 850 RPM
• Magazine: 50 rounds
• Reload: 1.8 seconds (full)
• Headshot multiplier: 1.5x
• Optimal range: 0-25m
• Damage falloff start: ~20m
• Aim down sights time: ~0.2s

Damage output

• Body DPS (sustained): ~312K
• Headshot DPS (sustained): ~468K
• Burst (mag dump, body): 50 shots x 22K = 1.1M in roughly 3.5 seconds
• Time-to-kill on a 1M HP red bar: under 3 seconds with body shots

Handling

Whisper is among the smoothest SMGs in the game. The recoil is light, the muzzle climb is gentle, and the silencer adds a faint downward pull that actually helps with vertical control. The 1.8 second reload is fast even by SMG standards, and the 50-round magazine means you rarely need to reload mid-fight against red waves.

Talent

Whisper-specific talent

The Whisper talent rewards staying off the radar. As long as enemies are unaware of your position, the rifle gets a damage buff that scales with consecutive hits — and breaking line of sight to refresh the unaware status keeps the buff up. Once an enemy is alerted, the buff slowly fades.

The mechanic encourages flanking, repositioning and using the silencer's noise reduction to maintain ambush opportunities. In open-world content this turns Whisper into a stealth-style tool that punishes patrols, and in scripted content it shines on the opening engagement of an encounter.

Practical tips

• Open every fight from concealment whenever possible
• Reload after engagements to keep the magazine topped off
• Pair with skills that do not break stealth, like a Riot Foam chem launcher
• Use cover to break line of sight and refresh the talent

Top Builds

Hunter's Fury Stealth Aggressor

Three-piece Hunter's Fury plus Brazos de Arcabuz holster plus Lengmo backpack. Hunter's Fury rewards melee finishers and close-range damage, both of which Whisper enables naturally. The talent's ambush bonus pairs well with the brand's setup-style gameplay.

Striker Sustained DPS

Six-piece Striker. Whisper's 50-round magazine and high RPM make it one of the best Striker stack-builders in the SMG class. Once Striker stacks are up, the talent layers cleanly on top for huge sustained damage.

Hard Wired Skill Hybrid

Three-piece Hard Wired plus China Light. Whisper handles the ad clear while skills do the heavy lifting against elites. The sustained mag size means you can keep pressure on while waiting for skill cooldowns.

PvE-PvP

PvE

Whisper is a top-tier close-range SMG for PvE. It dominates CQB content like Summit's interior floors, Countdown extracts and Dark Zone landmarks. The talent specifically rewards opening fights from stealth, which fits perfectly with the way most PvE encounters begin — from a fresh entry into a contested area.

In Heroic and Legendary it is best paired with a longer-range secondary like Brilliance or Tyrannicide, since its falloff past 25m is severe. In open-world content the silencer means you can take out patrols without alerting nearby groups, which has tangible value on Conflict objectives that reward stealth.

PvP

In Conflict, Whisper is a strong but build-dependent pick. The talent's ambush bonus rewards flanking play, and the silencer makes it harder for opponents to triangulate your position from gunfire alone. Against heavy bulwark builds the low base damage struggles, but against most standard loadouts the TTK is competitive with other top-tier SMGs.

In the Dark Zone, Whisper shines on contested-loot ambushes. Hide near a chest, wait for an opponent to engage the loot, and open with the talent active — most opponents fold before they can react.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• 50-round magazine is among the largest in the SMG class
• 1.8 second reload keeps you in fights
• Silencer reduces sound profile and feeds into the talent
• Smooth recoil, fast ADS
• Strong PvE and PvP performance with the right build

Cons

• 22K base damage is on the lower end for SMGs
• 1.5x headshot multiplier is below class average
• Damage falls off hard past 25m
• Talent rewards stealth, which is hard to maintain in scripted content
• Loses to bulwark builds in PvP

FAQ

Whisper or P90?

P90 has a higher base damage, but Whisper has the silencer, larger magazine, and stealth-focused talent. For ambush playstyles and longer engagements, Whisper wins. For pure burst TTK against single targets, P90 has the edge.

Does the silencer have any actual mechanical benefit?

Yes. Beyond the audio change, the silencer feeds into the named talent and reduces the radius at which AI patrols become alerted to your fire. It is functionally meaningful, not just cosmetic.

What is the best brand bonus for Whisper?

Hunter's Fury is the natural fit because it rewards close-range, aggressive play. Striker also works well for sustained DPS, and Hard Wired for skill-hybrid builds.

Can I use Whisper for raids?

Yes, but only as a secondary. Whisper is built for close range, and raid bosses generally encourage longer engagement distances. As a secondary for ad clear it works well.

Does the talent reset on detection?

The buff fades when enemies are alerted to your position, but it does not reset to zero immediately. Breaking line of sight and waiting briefly can recover stacks.

Closing

Whisper is the SMG for players who like to set the terms of engagement. It rewards flanking, stealth and patience in ways most weapons do not, and it has a sustained damage profile that holds up against the AR class in close-range fights. The low base damage and headshot multiplier are real limitations against bulwark builds, but for the close-range ambush playstyle it specializes in, Whisper is one of the most distinctive weapons in The Division 2's TU22.1 sandbox.