Helldivers 2 received a significant update that players have eagerly awaited, addressing various issues with balance and difficulty. The response from fans has been notably positive, marking a shift in sentiment towards the game.
Patch 1.001.100 is a key part of Arrowhead Game Studios’ 60-day strategy to listen to feedback and restore player satisfaction after previous updates made the game overly challenging for many. This update includes comprehensive changes to 31 weapons, 11 stratagems, 15 enemies, the Helldivers themselves, and planet modifiers like heat and cold. Additionally, a new Galactic War map has been introduced to show crucial assets locations, along with an emote wheel allowing players to equip four emotes simultaneously.
Feedback from the game’s most vocal fans suggested that adjustments made to weapons and stratagems since launch had reduced the game’s engagement and unnecessarily increased its difficulty. Players felt the developers were not responsive to player preferences, implementing arbitrary balance alterations. The discontent peaked with August’s Escalation of Freedom update, which weakened incendiary weapons like flamethrowers against armored enemies like Terminids.
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Arrowhead has been releasing daily updates in Discord and X, addressing one significant change each day. This includes damage adjustments for flamethrowers, reverting incendiary weapon changes, and enhancing various weapons like the railgun, breaker, arc thrower, and eruptor. Moreover, the Eagle 500kg bomb stratagem now boasts an increased explosion radius.
The patch notes indicate a focus on improving weapon efficacy against heavily armored enemies and increasing the effectiveness of specific weapons that were previously deemed ineffective. This update has garnered positive feedback from players, with a noticeable surge in concurrent players on SteamDB, reaching the highest level in over three months, indicating renewed interest in the game.
Despite the positive response, some players question whether the update has made the game too easy. Johan Pilestedt, Chief Creative Officer, interacted with users on X, acknowledging the need for a higher difficulty tier in the game.
I agree!
— Pilestedt (@Pilestedt) September 17, 2024
Pilestedt mentioned that the team is exploring ways to enhance the game’s challenge for high-tier players and hinted at potential changes to the jump pack feature.
