Helldivers 2 director lays out 60-day plan for balance refocus, fire damage changes, and Charger rework

Stepping out of the chaos and smoke following the (most) recent balance outrage, the Helldivers 2 director has promised big changes are planned for the live-service game. And they’ll be coming within the next 60 days.

Game Director Mikael Eriksson at Arrowhead Games took to Discord to lay out a roadmap for the next two months. In the message, Eriksson wrote that the team has been listening to feedback over the last week. After some refl♛ection, the team agreed that changes needed to be made.

“In short, we didn’t hit our target with the latest update,” Eriksson wrote. “Some things we just didn’t get right – and other more fundamental inconsistencies in our approach to game balance and game direction.

“All of that is on us and we are going to own that. As many of you have pointed out, and we agree, what matters most now is action. Not talk.”

Helldivers 2 game director promises change within 60 days

The message arrives on the heels of two difficult weeks for Arrowhead. Following the anticipated Escalation of Freedom update, some in the community have been loudly protesting the patch’s nerfs for a couple of popular weapons.

Players have criticized the developer for the changes, echoing prior befuddlement over similar weapon nerfs in the past. Arrowhead had promised better communication and a more thoughtful approach to weapon balance, which is something players feel the team didn’t follow with the latest patch.

Eriksson has outlined a p🥂lan to not only improve the game but its relationship with the community.

Here’s what the team plans to bring in the next 60 days (courtesy of Arrowhead Games):

• Continue to re-examine our approach to balance. Our intention is that balance should be fun, not “balanced” for the sake of balance
• Update how the fire damage mechanic works to tweak how the flamethrower serves as a close range support weapon. (A quick straight revert won’t work, as it would break other things)
• Rework gameplay to prevent excessive ragdolling
• Re-think our design approach to primary weapons and create a plan for making combat more engaging
• Re-prioritize bug fixes so that the more immediate gameplay-impacting bugs are prioritized
• Improve game performance (frame rate is a focus)
• Rework Chargers

Changes for the future

The team has plans for further down the road as well. Eriksson detailed a second list, which is being touted as a “bigger picture perspective.” Arrowhead is considering offering interested players a “beta-test environment,” much like an experimental patch that allows you to experience changes before they become official. Eriksson also promises better communication, while gathering feedback via forms and surveys (the former is already live). Better patch notes a🐈nd additional blog streams on changes are also on the table.

It all sounds like good news. We have two months to see how well the changes impact the game. Hopefully, the plan will be enough for folks to try and keep the bots at bay. They’re getting awfully close.