It’s been three weeks since Arrowhead Game Studios said it’d enact a 60-day plan to address the burning issues in Helldivers 2—and the first batch of changes is now on its way.
In a blog post on Sept. 5, the Helldivers 2 developer shared an update on the plan, revealing changes coming in an update on Sept. 17. The update features “significant changes aimed at refining and improving your experience in Helldivers 2,” like reworked Armor Penetration, Anti-Tank weapons, and enemy armor and health values.
According to the post, the team has made an initial “balancing pass” on over 30 weapons and Stratagems. The balancing pass entails a design team led by the former Arrowhead CEO Johan Pilestedt, who looks to ensure the weapon or Stratagem follows its original design goals while remaining balanced. “The goal is to ensure that each weapon and stratagem feels powerful, responsive, and fun to use, while also fitting into the broader gameplay ecosystem,” the post reads.
The update also aims to overhaul multiple enemies to make them “feel more rewarding to kill when you use the proper tools to handle them but ensure they still feel formidable.” For example, Hulks have reduced armor, and Devastators and Gunships have a limited number of rockets. Formidable bugs, like Charger, Bile Titan, and Impaler, have their armor reduced, too.
In light of these changes, weapons such as the Autocannon, Heavy Machine Gun, and Anti-Material Rifle will become more effective. The developer is also working toward additional improvements for the flamethrower weapons that were nerfed with the Escalation of Freedom update and caused an uproar within the community.
“We’re taking this opportunity to consider new player fantasies and design goals for these weapons and stratagems based on the feedback we’ve received and the trends we’re observing during gameplay,” the post reads. The update containing all of these changes and more is coming on Tuesday, Sept. 17.
