Image: Arrowhead Game Studios
Helldivers 2’s developer admits its latest update “didn’t hit our target.”
Developer Arrowhead Game Studios’ latest update for Helldivers 2 has proven to be controversial among its player base, thanks to a series of nerfs the developer issued to fan-favourite weapons. This week, the developer released a statement to acknowledge that it “didn’t hit our target with the latest update,” and reveal its plans to address player complaints over the next 60 days.
Arrowhead Game Studios acknowledges complaints over recent update
Players are unhappy with Helldivers 2’s latest Escalation of Freedom update, which introduced issues ranging from the visual FX work tied to certain weapons being downgraded, to seemingly unnecessary nerfs being aimed at fan favourite weapons like the FLAM-40 flamethrower. The update added new mission objectives and enemy types too, but that hasn’t stopped players from review-bombing the game on Steam.
Developer Arrowhead Game Studios published a statement on Reddit this week, acknowledging players’ many frustrations over the recent update. Written by game director Mikael Eriksson, the statement begins with an affirmation that Arrowhead has “spent the last week listening to feedback, reflecting about the path ahead for Helldivers 2 and how we want to continue developing the game.”
Mikael then goes on to admit that the update “didn’t hit our target,” but the developer plans to take a few steps “within the next 60 days” to address player feedback. This includes examining its approach to balance and updating how the game’s fire damage mechanic works, seemingly in response to complaints over the flamethrower weapon’s nerfs. According to the developer, “A quick straight revert won’t work, as it would break other things.”
Hence, don’t expect any flamethrower buffs anytime soon. The game is also taking another look at its “excessive ragdolling” and creating a plan to make “combat more engaging” by rethinking its design approach to primary weapons. Arrowhead is also re-prioritising bug fixes and plans to focus on improving the game’s framerate. Charger reworks are also in the cards.
According to Mikael’s statement, Arrowhead plans to accomplish all of this within the next 60 days - though some of these tasks are as simple as creating plans and rethinking old designs. A little further into the future, the developer is also exploring an “opt-in beta-test environment” and “regular player surveys.” Future patch notes will provide more context behind game changes, and blog posts and developer streams are in the works.
Mikael’s statement ends by thanking players for their patience, saying, “We're grateful that so many of you provided constructive feedback and suggestions on the latest update.” Unfortunately, reception to the post on the game’s subreddit has ranged from cool to outright hostile, considering this is the second time Arrowhead has suffered from the repercussions of its poor balance changes.
