Runaways Class Tier List: Best Classes Ranked

Choosing the right class in Runaways can have a major impact on how easy your robberies and escapes feel. While the stat bonuses are important, they are not the only things you should consider. Starting weapons, backpacks, medical items, movement speed, health, and robbery tools can all affect how profitable and reliable a run becomes.

For Update 1, some classes stand out because they are useful in almost every situation, while others are better for specific playstyles. Here is a complete Runaways class tier list based on overall usefulness, starting equipment, abilities, and value.

Runaways Class Tier List

The current ranking is:

S Tier

• Bounty Hunter
• Breacher
• Smuggler

A Tier

• Juggernaut
• Gang Member
• Medic

B Tier

• Contractor
• Old CEO
• Scout

C Tier

• Brawler

The ranking is based on more than combat damage. A class that helps you move faster, carry more loot, or escape the police can be just as valuable as one with powerful weapons.

S Tier Classes

S Tier classes are the strongest overall choices in Runaways. They provide useful bonuses without giving you a major disadvantage and can remain effective throughout an entire run.

Bounty Hunter

Cost: 300k

Starting Loadout:

• Machete
• Pistol
• Light Bullet Pack

Abilities:

• +20% Running Speed
• +10% Melee Strength

Bounty Hunter is one of the best all-round classes in Runaways. The +20% Running Speed is extremely useful because movement affects almost every part of a successful robbery. You can reach targets faster, escape police more easily, reposition during fights, and get to the border with less trouble.

The class also gives you both melee and ranged options from the beginning. The Machete handles close-range combat, while the Pistol gives you an answer when enemies are further away.

The 300k price is not cheap, but the combination of speed, combat power, and starting equipment makes Bounty Hunter an excellent long-term investment.

Breacher

Cost: 550k

Starting Loadout:

• Medium Backpack
• Shotgun
• C4
• Shotgun Bullet Pack

Ability:

• +40% Melee Strength

Breacher is designed for players who want to take on difficult robbery targets. Its starting equipment is already extremely useful, giving you storage space, a powerful close-range weapon, ammunition, and C4.

The Medium Backpack is particularly useful because you can carry more loot without needing to spend time searching for additional storage.

The +40% Melee Strength bonus is also one of the strongest direct combat bonuses available. Unlike some other powerful classes, Breacher does not sacrifice health or movement speed for this bonus.

At 550k, it requires a large investment, but the amount of useful equipment you receive makes it one of the strongest classes for high-value runs.

Smuggler

Cost: 45k

Starting Loadout:

• Small Backpack
• Crowbar

Abilities:

• +20% Running Speed
• -10% Melee Strength

Smuggler is arguably the best budget class in Runaways. For only 45k, you get a Small Backpack and a huge +20% Running Speed bonus.

The -10% Melee Strength penalty is the main downside, but it is not necessarily a dealbreaker. Runaways is not only about fighting. Getting loot and escaping safely is often more important than having slightly stronger melee attacks.

The movement bonus makes Smuggler particularly useful for farming, solo runs, and players who prefer avoiding unnecessary fights.

For its price, Smuggler provides incredible value and is an easy S Tier recommendation.

A Tier Classes

A Tier classes are still excellent choices, but they either have more noticeable weaknesses or are more specialized than the S Tier options.

Juggernaut

Cost: 850k

Starting Loadout:

• Light Armor
• Minigun
• Medium Backpack
• Light Bullet Box

Abilities:

• +100% Health
• -20% Running Speed

Juggernaut is the ultimate tank class. Its +100% Health bonus doubles your health, while Light Armor, a Minigun, ammunition, and a Medium Backpack give you an excellent starting setup.

The problem is the -20% Running Speed penalty. Runaways often requires you to move quickly when police or other players start chasing you, and being significantly slower can make escaping much harder.

Juggernaut is therefore excellent for players who enjoy direct combat and coordinated team play, but its high 850k price and poor mobility prevent it from reaching S Tier.

Gang Member

Cost: 170k

Starting Loadout:

• Blue Cow
• Small Backpack
• MAC
• Light Bullet Pack

Abilities:

• +10% Running Speed
• -5% Health

Gang Member is a strong general-purpose class with a useful starting loadout. You receive storage, a ranged weapon, ammunition, and Blue Cow without needing to spend your early resources building a basic setup.

The +10% Running Speed is useful throughout a run, while the -5% Health penalty is relatively small.

It does not offer the same clean combination of bonuses as Bounty Hunter, but it provides a lot of value for 170k and works well for both newer and experienced players.

Medic

Cost: 120k

Starting Loadout:

• 2x Medic Bag
• Light Armor
• Medic Pack

Abilities:

• +20% Health
• -5% Running Speed

Medic is the best choice for players who prioritize survival.

The +20% Health, Light Armor, two Medic Bags, and Medic Pack provide plenty of support during longer runs. You have more room to recover from mistakes and survive difficult encounters.

The downside is that Medic does not provide a firearm or backpack. You will need to obtain your offensive equipment and additional carrying capacity elsewhere.

Medic is especially useful in groups, where its healing and durability can provide more value than raw movement speed.

B Tier Classes

B Tier classes can still be useful, particularly for newer players or specific situations. However, they become less attractive once you can afford the stronger classes.

Contractor

Cost: 70k

Starting Loadout:

• Mace
• Pistol
• Light Bullet Pack

Abilities:

• +10% Melee Strength
• +5% Health
• -5% Running Speed

Contractor is a decent combat-focused starter. You have a Pistol and ammunition for ranged enemies, while the Mace and melee bonus improve close-range damage.

The biggest issue is that Contractor does not provide a backpack or useful robbery equipment. The -5% Running Speed also makes the escape part of a robbery slightly more difficult.

It is a reasonable choice for 70k, but Bounty Hunter eventually gives you a much better combination of mobility and combat bonuses.

Old CEO

Cost: 40k

Starting Loadout:

• Gold Ruby Necklace
• Diamond
• Gold Tiara
• Diamond Ring

Abilities:

• -5% Running Speed
• -15% Health

Old CEO is a strange but interesting class because its starting equipment is almost entirely valuable loot.

This gives you an economic advantage at the beginning of a run, allowing you to start with items that can be converted into money.

However, the -15% Health and -5% Running Speed penalties are significant when police or other players become involved.

Old CEO can work for players focused on quickly building their economy, but it is not a great option for difficult robberies or combat-heavy runs.

Scout

Cost: 35k

Starting Loadout:

• Small Backpack
• Bat

Abilities:

• +10% Running Speed
• -5% Melee Strength
• -20% Health

Scout has a useful combination of a Small Backpack and +10% Running Speed, making it suitable for basic loot runs.

Unfortunately, the -20% Health penalty makes the class much less forgiving. Getting caught by police or entering a dangerous area can become a serious problem.

Smuggler is only 10k more expensive and provides twice the movement bonus without the large health penalty, making it the better investment if you can afford the extra money.

C Tier Classes

C Tier does not necessarily mean unusable. These classes simply provide considerably less value compared with the alternatives.

Brawler

Cost: 25k

Starting Loadout:

• Knuckle

Abilities:

• +5% Melee Strength
• -10% Running Speed

Brawler is the cheapest class in Runaways, but its bonuses are difficult to justify.

The +5% Melee Strength bonus is quite small, while the -10% Running Speed penalty can negatively affect almost every part of a robbery. You also start with only a Knuckle, meaning you do not receive a backpack, firearm, medical equipment, or useful robbery tools.

The low price makes Brawler accessible to new players, but saving up for Scout or, preferably, Smuggler will give you much more value.

The best Runaways class depends somewhat on how you like to play, but Bounty Hunter, Breacher, and Smuggler are the strongest overall choices in Update 1.

For players who want the best budget option, Smuggler is especially hard to beat. If you want a stronger combat setup, Bounty Hunter and Breacher offer much better equipment and abilities. Meanwhile, Juggernaut and Medic are great alternatives if surviving dangerous situations is your main priority.

Keep in mind that this tier list can change as Runaways receives new updates, classes, balance changes, and equipment. For now, though, focusing on movement, carrying capacity, combat options, and escape potential is a reliable way to choose a class that can help you complete more profitable runs.