Not too long ago, Arrowhead released a vague list of improvements coming to Helldivers 2 , admitting to “inconsistencies” in their “approach to game balance and management.” Now, they've published another blog post that burns the previous post's vagueness with the flames of righteous democratic specificity. Enemy overhauls are on the way, less-loved weapons will be more effective, armor penetration and health values are being reworked, and certain weapons and strategies are being inspired by “player fantasies.” All of these tweaks are scheduled to go live on September 17, so there's not much time to wait.
First on the agenda are reworks to armor penetration, anti-tank weapons, enemy armor, and health values. Arrowhead says they've done “the first balance pass on over 30 weapons and strategies,” and are now “fine-tuning” low- and high-performance weapons to “make every weapon and strategy feel powerful.” Hey, as long as the damn mines aren't left as effective as scattering sugar pea pods on the ground, I'll be happy. Oh, and I swear most of the plasma/electric weapons are crap. Please give them a real punch!
Speaking of punches, Arrowhead wants to make enemies feel “tough,” but also more rewarding when they're turned into goo. Hulks will have less armor, and rockets fired by Devastators and Gunships will be limited to start. The armor values of the Charger, Impaler, and Bile Titan will also be lowered to further reduce their stranglehold.
Weapons like the Autocannon, Heavy Machine Gun and Anti-Material Rifle are getting beefed up. So are flamethrowers. I always thought Helldivers 2's flamethrowers were about as effective as spraying orange feathers on those pesky shells – hopefully they'll make for a proper barbecue in the future.
It's been a while since I played Helldivers 2. I'm kind of full. I'm waiting for the next faction that's been widely announced, but I'm not sure if it'll keep me playing for long. What about you?
The first of the above changes is expected to become active with the game's next patch on September 17. You can follow Helldivers 2 on Steam.