diff --git a/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Include/GameLogic/Weapon.h b/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Include/GameLogic/Weapon.h
index d75cb276f5..6895677ba1 100644
--- a/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Include/GameLogic/Weapon.h
+++ b/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Include/GameLogic/Weapon.h
@@ -862,6 +862,11 @@ class WeaponStore : public SubsystemInterface
 	};
 
 	std::vector<WeaponTemplate*> m_weaponTemplateVector;
+
+	// TheSuperHackers @performance IamInnocent 01/01/2026 - Now additionally stores the same weapon templates in a hash map to optimize lookups by name key
+	typedef std::hash_map<NameKeyType, WeaponTemplate*, rts::hash<NameKeyType>, rts::equal_to<NameKeyType> > WeaponTemplateMap;
+	WeaponTemplateMap m_weaponTemplateHashMap;
+
 	std::list<WeaponDelayedDamageInfo> m_weaponDDI;
 };
 
diff --git a/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameLogic/Object/Weapon.cpp b/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameLogic/Object/Weapon.cpp
index ff1dbf4ed1..86835e3872 100644
--- a/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameLogic/Object/Weapon.cpp
+++ b/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameLogic/Object/Weapon.cpp
@@ -1438,6 +1438,7 @@ WeaponStore::~WeaponStore()
 		deleteInstance(wt);
 	}
 	m_weaponTemplateVector.clear();
+	m_weaponTemplateHashMap.clear();
 }
 
 //-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -1496,9 +1497,9 @@ const WeaponTemplate *WeaponStore::findWeaponTemplate( const char* name ) const
 WeaponTemplate *WeaponStore::findWeaponTemplatePrivate( NameKeyType key ) const
 {
 	// search weapon list for name
-	for (size_t i = 0; i < m_weaponTemplateVector.size(); i++)
-		if( m_weaponTemplateVector[ i ]->getNameKey() == key )
-			return m_weaponTemplateVector[i];
+	WeaponTemplateMap::const_iterator it = m_weaponTemplateHashMap.find(key);
+	if(it != m_weaponTemplateHashMap.end())
+		return it->second;
 
 	return NULL;
 
@@ -1517,6 +1518,7 @@ WeaponTemplate *WeaponStore::newWeaponTemplate(AsciiString name)
 	wt->m_name = name;
 	wt->m_nameKey = TheNameKeyGenerator->nameToKey( name );
 	m_weaponTemplateVector.push_back(wt);
+	m_weaponTemplateHashMap[wt->m_nameKey] = wt;
 
 	return wt;
 }
diff --git a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Include/GameLogic/Weapon.h b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Include/GameLogic/Weapon.h
index 6b39c95758..3afebed868 100644
--- a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Include/GameLogic/Weapon.h
+++ b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Include/GameLogic/Weapon.h
@@ -887,6 +887,11 @@ class WeaponStore : public SubsystemInterface
 	};
 
 	std::vector<WeaponTemplate*> m_weaponTemplateVector;
+
+	// TheSuperHackers @performance IamInnocent 01/01/2026 - Now additionally stores the same weapon templates in a hash map to optimize lookups by name key
+	typedef std::hash_map<NameKeyType, WeaponTemplate*, rts::hash<NameKeyType>, rts::equal_to<NameKeyType> > WeaponTemplateMap;
+	WeaponTemplateMap m_weaponTemplateHashMap;
+
 	std::list<WeaponDelayedDamageInfo> m_weaponDDI;
 };
 
diff --git a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameLogic/Object/Weapon.cpp b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameLogic/Object/Weapon.cpp
index 7720c5cc71..473f284ab4 100644
--- a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameLogic/Object/Weapon.cpp
+++ b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameLogic/Object/Weapon.cpp
@@ -1583,6 +1583,7 @@ WeaponStore::~WeaponStore()
 		deleteInstance(wt);
 	}
 	m_weaponTemplateVector.clear();
+	m_weaponTemplateHashMap.clear();
 }
 
 //-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -1641,9 +1642,9 @@ const WeaponTemplate *WeaponStore::findWeaponTemplate( const char* name ) const
 WeaponTemplate *WeaponStore::findWeaponTemplatePrivate( NameKeyType key ) const
 {
 	// search weapon list for name
-	for (size_t i = 0; i < m_weaponTemplateVector.size(); i++)
-		if( m_weaponTemplateVector[ i ]->getNameKey() == key )
-			return m_weaponTemplateVector[i];
+	WeaponTemplateMap::const_iterator it = m_weaponTemplateHashMap.find(key);
+	if(it != m_weaponTemplateHashMap.end())
+		return it->second;
 
 	return NULL;
 
@@ -1662,6 +1663,7 @@ WeaponTemplate *WeaponStore::newWeaponTemplate(AsciiString name)
 	wt->m_name = name;
 	wt->m_nameKey = TheNameKeyGenerator->nameToKey( name );
 	m_weaponTemplateVector.push_back(wt);
+	m_weaponTemplateHashMap[wt->m_nameKey] = wt;
 
 	return wt;
 }