At present, laser weapons have been progressively integrated into practical applications, and are emerging as critical factors influencing future battlefield configurations. As operational scenarios and weapon systems grow in complexity, the significance of digitalized weapon equipment development continues to escalate. Effectiveness simulation, constituting a vital component of weapon digitalization, has garnered significant attention. In this paper, the research status of laser weapon modeling and simulation are summarized, the digital modeling framework and effectiveness evaluation methods of laser weapon are categorized and synthesized, and the challenges faced by current laser weapon modeling and simulation are analyzed.