The Democracy Space Station was one of the most exciting new developments in Helldivers 2??'s ongoing galactic war. A potent semi-mobile enhancement platform that can buff Helldivers wherever they go sure sounds great, but it's a bit of a wet noodle in practice. Worse, even, as it's downright punishing.

As the DSS was slowly ramping up its engines and the com??munity invested heaps of resources into it, the expectation was that it would massively improve our combat efforts on whichever front it was deployed on. Well... the truth is a tad more complicated than that. Not only is using the DSS a heck of an effort in its own right, but the effects are also substantially less useful than we hoped they would be. From the look of things, the DSS doesn't add bonus Stratagem deployments or some manner of passive buffs to the players' stats. Instead, it effectively carpet-bombs the entire map all at once.

The Democracy Space Station is going to need a rework, stat

Now, we'll obviously have to wait and see how the remainder of the Democracy Space Station's Actions work out, but the Orbital Barrage is genuinely problematic in practice. It looks like the effect of the Orbital Barrage is roug??hly equivalent to that of an omnipresent 380MM explosive Stratagem, except it's applied to a whole level, leading to unpredictable ragdolling and, indeed, deaths.

The bit that is wholly predictable is the players' response to this fumble: they are deeply unhappy with what's been deli??vered. ?The DSS has been the single focal point of every Major Order for weeks now, and to have the feature be downright detrimental to the players' efforts is demoralizing, to say the least.

Also predictable is the fact that Helldivers 2 is coping with this development via some delightfully spicy memes. Certainly, Arrowhead Games has managed to succ??es??sfully turn things around and bri?ng the game back to its launch-day glory. Yet, if the DSS doesn't get massively recalibrated to become a potent tool in the Super Earth's arsenal, this whole thing will become yet another mar on what could otherwise be a wonderful live-service experience.

For what it's worth, I've got no doubt that Arrowhead will somehow revamp the DSS at some point in the near future. As it currently stands, playing missions with a DSS Action running is almost impossible unless you're really lucky with how the 380MM bombardment is dished out, and that's no way to play the game. We'll just have to stick? with the darned thing until appropriate calibrations are made.

And, on that note, I do have to praise Arrowhead for no longer making the same kinds of mistakes the team's been making since the Magicka days. Something like the DSS could never have been shipped in its current form back in the day, not even in the original Helldivers, so the effort is ce??rtainly praiseworthy. It's just going to take a bit more time for it to be anything less than actively detrimental to the playerbase.

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The Democracy Space Station, or DSS for short, is a massive orbiting platform in Helldivers 2 that players can use in the fight for democracy. Players can spend resources to activate a handful of Stratagems that the DSS can deploy, and vote on where to send? the space st??ation next.

The DSS activates every 24 hours on a countdown timer. Once it reaches zero, the station will move to the location voted on by Helldivers 2 pla??yers where it'll unleash its unlocked Stratag??ems.

How to open and navigate the DSS menu in Helldivers 2

The DSS menu is accessible via the Super Destroyer ship. To enter it, navigate to the bridge and open the Galactic War map. You should see a button prompt to enter the DSS menu at the top of the map. F??or PlayStation 5 users, press the touchpad button. PC players can enter the menu using the B key.

The menu includes three tabs you can select to view the main functions of t??he DSS:

• Summary

  • Provides you with information detailing the current situation of the DSS, including its location, current action, and Stratagem activation progress.

• Actions

  • The Actions tab shows you a list of DSS Stratagems you can spend resources on to activate.

• Location

  • Allows you to vote on which system to send the DSS next.

How to activate DSS Tactical Action Stratagems

The DSS is capable of supporting divers on the field with a handful of Stratagems, but they must be activated first. To do so, navigate to the Actions tab, where you'll see a short list of Tactical Actions for which you can spend resources. Unlocked Tactical Actions will be deployed during a campaign for one planet at a time. Each Stratagem requires a ??certain amount of resources, which include Common and Rare Samples, and Requisition Slips.

Here are the Tactical Actions you can unlock and th?e resources required:

• Planetary Bombardment

  • Fires periodic Orbital Barrages during missions and accelerates the progression of Liberation Campaigns.
  • Requires: Rare Samples

• Eagle Storm

  • Deploys periodic Eagle Airstrikes during missions and slows enemy progress in Defense Campaigns.
  • Requires: Common Samples

• Orbital Blockade

  • Prevents Defense Campaigns on a planet and automatically activates the Hellpod Space Optimization Booster for all missions.
  • Requires: Requisition Slips

You can only donate r?esources u??p to a certain point. Once you reach the maximum amount of donated resources, you cannot donate again for another 24 hours. To see how many resources you can donate, highlight an Action and check the maximum amount to the left of the Donate button.

How to move the DSS

The DSS can be deployed to any planet in Helldivers 2 with an ongoing campaign. To move the station, navigate to the Location tab and pick from the list of planets. Every player gets one vo?te per Location change. You c??annot change your vote.

Once the countdown finishes, the DSS will warp to the location with the highest number of votes. The DSS will remain in that system until players vote for it to move elsewhere. As the DSS is a tool, the best places to send it would be planets with challenging campaigns or as a way to cut off critical supply lines.

Should you spend resources on the DSS?

The DSS exists for two reasons: To assist Helldivers liberate or defend a planet during a campaign, and give players a place to dump excess resources. If you haven't spent your cash and samples unlocking every Stratagem and Ship Module, it's best to save your resources on those first. Using the DSS is a community effort, and there are plenty of maxed-out players who will gladly dump their ca??sh and Samples into the platform.

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With this year's Liberty Day now behind us, it was only a matter of time before Helldivers 2 played host to a fancy new event of some sort. Enter the DSS: the De??mocracy Space Station, which has slowly been getting built ??up over the past few months.

The Democracy Space Station is, for all intents and purposes, now fully up and running. The kicker is that it's functionally useless for the time being, until the community can rack?? up a significant enough r??esource pool to unlock new goodies. A highlight is the Planetary Bombardment perk, which is right about halfway done at the time of writing?? and will give us bonus Orbital Barrage Stratagems on missions and should improve liberation efforts in the future.

Check out Helldivers 2's Democracy Space Station if you've got Samples to spare

The DSS is fun??ctionally a wide-sweeping buff platform that will assist players in various ways, should they be able to field its Tactical Actions. The investments that need to be made for these Actions to work are downright immense, however. Planetary Bombardment calls for Orange Samples, while Eagle Storm necessitates Green Samples. Orbital Blockade, on the other hand, will require a Requisition investment, which isn't too hard to stack up over time.

Regardless, unless you're in a position where you've already got everything unlocked and have your Super Destroyer fully built up, I would advise against spending ??Samples and Requisition on the DSS. Somewhat predicta??bly, the results of the DSS building campaign (which consisted of several large-scale Major Order operations) aren't all that interesting to some players.

The DSS also allows play??ers to vote on where it should move next. While it has been built in t??he Gaellivare system, it would seem that the current Majority Vote is to move it to Mastia, which may well protect it from the ongoing Automaton Jet Brigade onslaught. Fun stuff, that.

Some players have an issue with the Democracy Space Station so far because it seems to be a fairly passive and ??unengaging bonus UI that might not make a big difference in the pace of Galactic War at large. While Arrowhead Games definitely didn't ??suggest this would be the case, some were hoping that the DSS would also serve as a social hub of some sort.

If you're still intent on spending Samples at the DSS (which I am, too, just to see what comes of it in a practical sense), I'd suggest looking into our various Helldivers 2 farming guides:

• Common Samples
• Super Samples
• Difficulty Overview

However, it hasn't? taken the community long to get many of the DSS's starter perks half-way done. To that end, I expect the first batch of Tactical Actions to be available soon enough, and then we'll see whether all of our efforts ha??ve been for naught.

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Arrowhead Games' CCO Johan Pilestedt doesn't want Helldivers 2 to crossover with other IPs, but he sure has a nice list of IPs prepared �just in?? case.

Replying to a post on X about potential crossovers, Pilestedt wrote that doing one with Helldivers 2 would "dilute the IP" and make it a "not helldivers" experience. In the same breath, he dropped a list of 11 IPs he'd want to c?rossover with the game.

"Yeah, but these are just musings, if we were to do all of them, it would dilute the IP and make it a 'not helldivers experience'," Pilestedt wrote on X before revealing his secret headcanon ideas.

0 Days have passed since referencing The Predator in a Helldivers 2 post

Some IPs in the list, like Warhammer 40K and Starship Troopers, are obvious picks. A few of his choices are a bit out of left field, but I can see them work. I mean, I'd pay any amount of money to watch Korben Dallas and Leeloo take on a horde of Automatons. Wouldn't anyone?

Helldivers 2 is already rich in references. Its clearest influence is Starship Troopers, but the game also nods to Warhammer 40K and Star Wars with its armor designs. As far as crossovers go, those are a shoo-in. But some have wondered about game crossovers, such as with Deep Rock Galactic. It hasn't been too long since the Helldivers 2 X account dropped a cryptic message that seemed to reference the intergalactic dwarf game. Both communities share a sense of goodwill; it could be a welcome crossover.

Pilestedt's other picks include Terminator, The Predator, Blade Runner, Mutant Chronicles, The Fifth Element, and more. I can certainly see The Predator working since we already have to deal with invisible hunters that stalk divers on Terminid planets �I hate those bastards. A fan already mashed up Helldivers 2 with The Predator in a video, and it all blended quite ??nicely. So long as the crossover gifts us with a minigun Stratagem at last, I'll be there.

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Do you know those broadcasts from Super Earth? They're 100% true. I mean, why would the Ministry of Truth lie? The Helldivers 2 - Tru?th Enforcers Warbond celebrates these arbiters of accuracy, allowing you to spread the truth far and wide �likely with a flamethrower.

Truth Enforcers is a Premium Warbond for Helldivers 2. You can unlock it by spending 1,000 Super Credits (SC), roughly $10 in real-life money. Super Credits is a premium currency that can be discovered while playing the game, but you can make up for what's lacking by purchasing some in the in-game store if that's what you want. Keep in mind that Premium Warbonds are optional, supplying buyers with?? new guns, gear, and more.

Everything in Helldivers 2 - Truth Enforcers Warbond and their cost

Truth Enforcers delivers two new armor sets, a title, an emote, a Booster, weapons, and more. One of the weapons is the first of its kind: A plasma pistol, which hopefully packs the kind of p??unch neede??d to spill much oil.

Weapons

There is no new grenade in Truth Enforcers.

Armor Sets

Truth Enforcers includes two armor sets comprised of armor, helmets, and capes. The armor is equipped with the Unflinching passive.

Armor Passive: Unflinching

• Helps prevent Helldivers from flinching when hit.

Capes

• Pride of the Whistleblower (Page 2) - 20 Warbond Medals
• Proof of Faultless Virtue (Page 3) - 30 Warbond Medals

Helmets

• UF-50 Bloodhound (Page 2) - 35 Warbond Medals
• UF-16 Inspector (Page 3) - 45 Warbond Medals

Emote

• At Ease (Page 3) - 50 Warbond Medals

Super Credits

• 100 SC (Page 1) - 7 Warbond Medals
• 100 SC (Page 2) -
• 100 SC (Page 3) - 32 Warbond Medals

Booster

• Dead Sprint

  • Allows Helldivers to keep sprinting even when they are out of stamina, draining their health instead.

Player Cards

• Pride of the Whistleblower (Page 2) - 5 Warbond Medals
• Proof of Faultless Virtue (Page 3) - 15 Warbond Medals

Title

• Free of Thought (Page 3) - 20 Warbond Medals

Vehicle Patterns (Skins)

• Inconspicuous Black Hellpod Pattern (Page 1) - 10 Warbond Medals
• Inconspicuous Black Exosuit Pattern (Page 1) - 50 Warbond Medals
• Inconspicuous Black Shuttle Pattern (Page 2) - 50 Warbond Medals

That about wraps up everything you can get in the Helldivers 2 - Truth Enforcers Warbond and their cost. Hopefully, when you wear the armor of the Ministry of Truth, you'll run into fewer dissidents and more heroes willing to die for Liberty, Democracy, and Super Earth. If not, they can always fa?ce the wall.

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There's no point in spreading Managed Democracy throughout the galaxy if you can't be fashionable while doing it. Okay, all the armor sets in Helldivers 2 do have an intended purpose. But with that gear?? and cape, you can't argue that Helldivers have an immaculate drip.

Helldivers 2 has dozens armor sets to mix and match. They're separated into three types �Heavy, Medium, and Light �and come equipped with an Armor Passive that gives you a small boon. Developer Arrowhead Games is constantly delivering more armor sets via Warbonds and the Superstore, so b??e sure to keep an eye out for more ways? to increase your style points.

All Armor Passives in Helldivers 2 and what they do

There are eleven Armor Passives in Helldivers 2 and each offers different buffs. Knowing what they do can help you sur??vive longer on the battlefield.

All armor sets in Helldivers 2, their passives, and how to get them

Here are all the currently available armor sets in Helldivers 2. Keep in mind that some are locked behind Warbonds or need to be purchased in the Superstore, whi?le others are no longer available.

Aspects such as Armor Rating, Speed, Stamina Regen can differ among sets in the same type. In those occasions, you'll see all three aspects are balanced to compensate for any difference. For example, the SC-34 Infiltrator has a higher Armor Rating than other Light sets, but that is matched with lower Speed and Stamina Regen. K??eep the ?differences in mind when choosing your equipment.

Every helmet in the game comes with the standard?-??issue stats of 100 Armor Rating, 100 Speed, and 100 Stamina Regen.

Arrowhead adds more armor sets all the time. The developer also tweaks armo??r values from time to time. We'll keep updating the list whenever the Armory changes.

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Helldivers 2 studio Arrowhead Games is once more preparing to celebrate Liberty Day, the fictional in-game holiday where the whole family can get together, eat hotdogs, and watch traitors be executed. Arrowhead brings Liberty Day home for Helldivers 2 players with free armor and a weapon from the original game.

That's right. Arrowhead is gifting Helldivers 2 fans the most-requested armor set: The DP-00 Tactical, inspired by the original armor from Helldivers 1. The armor is paired with the R-2124 Constitution, a modernized take on the classic. In case you were wondering, the rifle comes equipped with a bayonet �for close encounters.

Liberty Day 2024 start??s on October 26, and all are invited to join. Or else.

Time to salute and execute: Liberty Day 2024 is coming

Arrowhead Games shared a list of highlights coming to Liberty Day as part of the faux celebrations. The day starts with a Strohmann News 24-hour livestream followed by the reciting of the Super Earth Anthem. For your entertainment, Dissident Executions are scheduled for 0700. Don't worry if you miss out because there will be another set of surprise executions starting at 20:00. You better hope you weren't doing anything treasonous lately.

For those new to Helldivers, Liberty Day is a fake holiday taking place every October 26. It's the day the Starship Troopers novel was released in 1959 and also coincides with the birthday of the studio head Johan Pilestedt (it can't be a coincidence). The first Liberty Day was celebrated on October 26, 2016, for the original Helldivers. Players ??were rewarded three new ca?pes and the M2016 Constitution rifle, based on the 1903 Springfield.

How to get the classic HD1 armor and Constitution rifle in Helldivers 2

The video may suggest you have to play Helldivers 2 on October 26 to get the armor and weapon, but that's not the case. All you? need to do to get the rewards is... nothing. As confirmed by Arrowhead on its Discord, all players will be gifted the it?ems on October 27 regardless of participation.

Beyond Liberty Day 2024

Helldivers 2 players have more to look forward to after Liberty Day. Another Warbond is coming next week, just in time for the spooky season. Helldivers 2: Truth Enforcers launches on October 31, bringing two new armor sets ??and more weapons. It'll finally add another SMG to the mix with the SMG-32 Reprimand, paired with a new shotgun and a plasma pistol. There's also a new 'At Ease' emote that's ripe for meme-ing.

It's going to be a long week for Helldivers 2 players, and it all starts on October 26.

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I've been highly skeptical of Arrowhead Games' ability to "fix" Helldivers 2 in just two months' time. Seeing how the game's balancing was handled early on put me off of the game and I was not expecting the 60-day patch to do much.

Imagine my surprise, then, upon seeing not one but two incredible balancing updates pushed out to re-develop the meta to an enjoyable level. And, honestly, there are no two ways to describe the state Helldivers 2 is cu??rrently in: the game is gosh darn fun. There's no telling what might be the next step for Arrowhead Games' flagship shooter, and there are some caveats, but the game is now in a renaissance, and I'm thrilled to have regained some trust in the developers.

Helldivers 2 is now more fun than ever before, but can it stay that way?

I don't play Helldivers 2 the way it's meant to be played. There's a small sub-community of people playing Helldivers 2 solo, but we do so with the full expectation that we won't be taking on the highest difficulti?es or progressing efficiently.

It's fine, really.

What wasn't fine was how egregiously punishing the game got, even at low difficulties, if you took a slightly suboptimal loadout into a mission. Certain enemies, such as the Charger, essentially mandated that your fireteam had to take dedicated anti-armor weapons, no matter what. This, in turn, defined your primary and secondary kit as well. Remember: there's a long history of nerfs to Helldivers 2, and though not all were unwarranted, players were still left in a situation where the vast majority of gear was whol??ly unviable.

All of this was before Arrowhead substantially powered up both the Automatons and the Bugs via the Escalation of Freedom, on top of locking the cool new content behind the new, highest? difficulty mode.

None of this was necessarily rolled back. Instead, Arrowhead delivered an incredible roster of buffs to player weapons and armor, making more kit viable than the game had even on launch day. As it stands, the odds are good that you could take anything into a mission and still be a force to be reckoned with. This is a huge shift in how matches play out, both in solo and in fireteam modes.

What has actually changed in Helldivers 2 after the 60-day patches?

In the broadest sense possible, Arrowhead Games has done three things with the last couple of balancing patches for Helldivers 2:

• Retrofitted the vast majority of the game's arsenal into relevance via buffs.
• Made enemy resistances, AI behavior, and spawning setups far more reasonable and sensible.
• Stopped leaving inflammatory comments willy-nilly.

Balancing a game isn't a zero-sum consideration, and while you might expect Helldivers 2 to be exceedingly easy no?w, that's not quite the case. Helldiver troops still get cut down at a moment's notice. Bad positioning will result in mission losses and unnecessary deaths, and though enemy forces did get some nerfs, they are no pushovers unless you're playing on the lowest possible difficulty.

The key thing that's changed is that you're no longer beholden to one or two specific loadouts for every single use case. As long as you keep a balanced arsenal where one of y??our weapons deals with chaff, one takes on heavy enemies, and one serves a gadget-like niche (i.e. the Stim Pistol), you'll be able to do some serious damage?.

Loadout variety is a huge consideration in a game where we regularly get awesome guns and gadgets. Having new flamethrowers only for them to feel like spruced-up matchsticks was a bad look, and I'm thrilled that Arrowhead managed to come back from th??at.

Honestly, Helldivers 2 is now fun, not because it's easy, but because it lets you interact with its sandbox in more ways than ever before. The "experience shift" ??????????????????????????that Arrowhead promised worked, almost ridiculously well.

Can Arrowhead maintain the balance that's now been struck?

This truly is the ultimate question we need to keep asking over and over again as we proceed into Helldivers 2's hopefully years-long live-service setup. Helldivers 2 was released to immediate acclaim, only to then b?e ground into something? less interesting and exciting by subsequent balancing?? attempts.

These balancing attempts came from a good place, but they showed the community that Arrowhead doesn't necess??arily know how to make players happy and the game fun.?? Even after two massive buff-oriented patches, I can't shake off the feeling that we're just riding a high that won't last long.

Potential hidden nerfs aside for a bit, there's another big consideration: can there be too much of a good thing in this context? And the answer is yes, certainly. The original Helldivers was balanced on a knife's edge (not always perfectly, mind), where both the enemies and the players were extremely powerful and capable. The challenge was knowing how to best use ??these powerful tools you had at your disposal and how to avoid the enemies' strongest weapons.

I dare say that we're in a similarly precarious golden era for Helldivers 2, too. The enemies are challenging, but the players have the potential of being every bit as punishing as the full brunt of the Automaton and/or Bug forces. How long will Arrowhe??ad Games be able to maintain this balance? Are we just one Warbond away from completely dismantling everything the 60-day patch(es) delivered?

Given Arrowhead's track record, I'm not yet convinced this isn't a fluke. I want to believe Helldivers 2 will now keep up its balancing act to stay the game it is now. But it will take a handful of other balancing updates before I can be sure that I'm happy with what ??Arrowhead's offering. And I know I?'m not the only one who's still on the fence.

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The prophecy has been fulfilled: Arrowhead Games has dropped the notes for the Helldivers 2 day-60 patch, which brings even more buffs and changes to the table. Oh, and it apparently canonizes community meme John Helldiver. But let's briefly forget a??bout that and d??ive into the notes.

It may have come out a few days later than expected, but the Helldivers 2 day-60 patch has arrived. The Arrowhead team found many more buffs and changes to apply to the game's weapons and stratagems. Gameplay changes run the gamut from enemy health to patrol spawn behavior. The? patch targets the Automaton forces more directly, decreasing the armor for some enemies while making it harder for them to target you through smoke and fog.

Helldivers 2 day-60 patch notes is full of welcome changes

More than 70 weapons and stratagems got tweaked or reworked following Helldivers 2 patch 01.001.104. For the guns, the Liberator, Scorcher, Purifier, Punisher Plasma, and others have been buffed to be even more viable in the field. Among the big buffs, few are bigger than the one for the fan-favorite P-4 Senator, which has been upgraded with heavy armor penetration and increased projectile damage. But can it actually ground Chargers? Oh, yes. And not just Chargers.

The patch also addresses many of the support weapons. The Recoilless Rifle now has programmable ammunition, allowing you to switch between the regular rockets and High-Explosive rounds. Arrowhead extended the same love to?? the Autocannon, which can fire normal or flak projectiles. Other affected Stratagems include the Machine Guns and the Stalwart, the Jump Pack, the AR-23 "Guard Dog," and more.

The Automatons got a right bruising with the patch. Devastators, Berserkers, and Tanks have received decreased armor or head health??. Tank weak spots now have a health pool separate from the vehicle's total health, and damaging it "150% damage to the Tank's main health." Recently equipped with laser cannons, the Hulk Bruiser had said weapon reverted to the standard rocket launcher. And you have John Helldiver to thank, according?? to the team.

"In response to their disapproval of a newly installed cannon on the Automaton Hulk Bruisers, Super Earth High Command sent a crack commando to sabotage their production facilities," read the patch notes. "The skilled operative promptly escaped into the shadows after completing their mission. Today, still ??wanted by the Automatons, they survive as a soldier of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can enlist�John Helldiver"

John isn't the only one having fun. According to the notes, the famous General Brasch is coming home from his "holiday retreat in foggy hillside town." I ??suddenly feel a bit sorry for Pyramid Head. But only a little.

The 60-day patch notes for Helldivers 2 are extensive, so be sure? to give it a good read before your next drop.

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In August, Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead Games announced a 60-day plan to improve the game and win back the hearts and minds of its community. Sadly, the planned 60-day patch is getting pushed until next week, but it's for a good reason.

Creative ?director Johan Pilestedt and design director Niklas Malmborg announced that the 60-day patch will now be the 63-day patch, releasing on Tuesday, October 15. Why the delay? Well, apparently, someone at Arrowhead f??orgot to check what day the deadline would fall on.

It's a Saturday, and, as Pilested??t and Malmborg explained in a short video clip, Arrowhead doesn't release patches on the weekend. The reason? They "don't want to break the game while you're playing the game." The patch has been delayed to avoid a scenario where would-be weekend divers are stuck doing something else, like playing another game or visiting family (shudde??rs).

But the good? news is that the duo have teased what t??he patch is bringing next week.

Arrowhead teases what's inside the 60-day 63-day patch

To whet your appetite, Pilestedt and Malmborg took a few moments in the clip to tease what the 63-day patch will contain. Yes, just like the massive patch we got last month, the next one buffs even more weapons.

• Flak is coming to the Autocannon
• The Recoilless Rifle is getting programmable ammo
• The Scorcher will receive "automatic fire"
• A change is coming to the Stalwart
• You'll be able to retrieve and activate your backpack drones manually

It's a nice list, even though at least? one tease feels like a tease. I mean, what change is coming to the Stalwart? Don't hold out on me, Arrowhead. You know I love the St??alwart.

Among the changes, being able to recall and send out y?our backpack drone is something I never knew I wanted until now. It'll certainly help when I'm playing Helldive missions and I need my drone to not shoot the nearby bug patrol, thank you very muc?h.

The full patch notes will arriv??e on October 15. Until then, happy weekend diving.

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Do you know what my favorite anime of all time is? Okay, the headline may contain a spoiler. But yes, Cowboy Bebop swept me away when it arrived so many years ago. I'm also a big fan of Helldivers 2. ??If only someone would chocolate this?? peanut butter.

Apparently, someone has. Last week, Reddit user Dorintin posted a video to the Helldivers subreddit that smashes up two of my favorite things of all time. Their Helldivers X Cowboy Bebop video combines the show's intro with its funky beats with Helldivers 2 footage. And it all works.

Time to blow this joint

The mashup video uses gameplay clips of Helldivers 2 set to the tone and style of the Cowboy Bebop intro. Classic scenes were replaced by helldivers, their weapons, and their ships. Instead of a handgun firing, it's the railgun. The Super Destroyer of Helldivers 2 takes the p??lace of Spike's iconic ship, the Swordfish II, and the Bebop itself. Dorintin also included credits featuring the names of the Arrowhead Games' development team. All in all, the video is a stylish juxtaposition of two incredible properties.

I will, however, admit that the idea isn't unique. A similar video, Helldivers Bebop, somehow went under my nose when Reddit user Super00_ posted it to the same subreddit six m??onths ago. The setup is nearly the same, but I did have to sustain a laugh at the ??lighter scene.

Dorintin writes that they started making the vid??eo in March. They performed most of the work, but their partner lent a hand by recording gameplay clips. The project was a bit touch? and go, however.

"There's a lot of st??upid clipp??ing in the comp but I started this back in March, forgot about it for 5 months," They wrote in the thread. "File got corrupted, I unfucked it and I figured now that it's mostly done might as well post it."

Helldivers 2 isn't the only space-age property to get the Bebop treatment. Four years ago, YouTube channel Sholty Productions published a video starring the rough-and-tumble dwarves of Deep Rock Galactic in their own Cowboy Bebop collab. Mayb??e there's just some kind of magic that happens when you combine the energetic jazz of the Seatbelts with space-based shenanigans.

Will this send me down a rabbit hole where I attempt to find more video game X Cowboy Bebop colla?boration videos? Possibly. Whatever happens, happens.

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On reflection, the big buff patch that arrived on Helldivers 2 last week was just about everything the community wanted??. The weapons are buffed, enemies are reworked, and things seem? to be back on the rise. But what are the biggest changes from the patch?

The biggest changes brought by the Helldivers 2 buff patch 1.001.100

To answer that question, I decided to get my boots dirty. No, I didn't cherry-pick what I felt were the most significant changes from the list of patch notes. I dove. I dove hard. Starting last week and through the weekend, I dropped on bug- and bot-infested planets, putting the patch to the tes??t. It was a scientific process. And by that, I mean I squished and dismantled many enemies. It was great.

Here are the biggest changes introduced by the Helldivers 2 buf??f patch, aka Patch 1.001.100, in no particular order.

11. Flamethrower is letting you cook

Let's get a big one out of the way first by discussing flamethrowers, recently the focus of the community's ire. Following the Escalation of Freedom update, the fire effe??ct of the Flamethrower was nerfed, ??removing its ability to pierce armor. The feature made it a good option against heavy foes like the Charger, but the nerf threatened to toss the Flamethrower back into the bin of obscurity.

The patch reversed the changes, returning the damage values to the Flamethrower and its armor penetration. Not only that, but Arrowhead also increased the damage ?of the other fire-based weapons, such as the Tor??cher and Crisper.

Since the pa?tch, I've used the Flamethrower in several Terminid missions, and it feels fantastic. Few things are more satisfying than cooking a dozen bugs before turning it again??st a Charger �and winning. It's also effective on Bile Titans, making it possibly the most versatile weapon on bug planets.

10. Helldivers' health rework needs more work

Helldiver damage zones have been changed with the patch. Headshots do less damage to Helldivers (50% extra damage as opposed to 100%), so getting sniped by your own "Guard Dog" Rover won't be as frequent. But following the patch, you receive more damage to your limbs and tor?so.

The change has led some?? players to refer to Helldivers as "Squishdivers," poking fun at how much easier it is to die now. The changes to player weak points work with the alterations made to Heavy enemy health and armor values, preventing things from feeling like a one-sided slaughter. Sure, it's easier to topple a Bil??e Titan, but getting swarmed is that much scarier.

I should know. For the most part, I feel the health changes aren't terrible but can use some tweaks. Some of my earliest deaths were due to me needing to retrain how I move in a fight. You don't live long if you don't have your head on a swivel, and it's wise to d??ive the moment a claw comes into view.

Against bots, though, and things are a bit harsher. A couple of laser blasts from downtown might be all that's needed to bring you to your knees. It's a bit too easy to get shredded when facing off against Automatons in Difficulty 7 ?and higher. Some fixes are needed, especially on the bot front. Until then, using a Shield Pack is certainly an option.

9. The Railgun is back on the menu

It's been so long since the Railgun has been a viable option that I nearly forgot the support weapon ever existed. And that's not a good thing. The Railgun was my support weapon of choice in the early days of Helldivers 2, back when it could mysteriously one-shot a Bile Titan with a headshot. That changed with the game's first balance patch.

Thankfully, the buff patch has managed to resurrect the Railgun. While? it doesn't quite have the "kapow" it used to, I found it to be a great pick against heavy bots like the Hulks. The w??eapon also still works well if you overcharge a few shots at a Charger's leg to strip the armor. It's just like the good ol' days of, er, seven months ago.

8. The Eruptor lives up to its name once again

Another favorite weapon of mine in Helldivers 2 is the Eruptor, introduced by the Democratic Detonation Premium Warbond. Its standout feature is its shell that explodes into shrapnel, capable of shredding flesh and metal. Well, it was, until the shrapnel was removed. ?The Eruptor's overzealous love of killing things meant that even divers were in its crosshairs and were torn down by white-hot shrapnel.

The buff patch returned shrapnel to the Eruptor's shots, but it's not quite the same. Now, the Eruptor's shots use frag grenade shrapnel, which shouldn't instantly kill nearby players with a random headshot. So far, that seems to be the case. I spent some time with the weapon, and I can report that the weapon's lethality against bugs and bots is higher than ever. It doesn't quite feel as dead??ly, but the Eruptor is finally a viable pick again.

7. Laser weapons don't suck anymore

Okay, hear me out: The Scythe is good. No, really. It's damn good following the buff patch. What was once a gun left to collect dust on most players' Super Destroyer is, a??t last, a great primary optio?n. Not only that, but the Dagger can also do some serious business.

Since the game's launch, the LAS-5 Scythe has been the butt of many jokes. Weak and prone to overheating, the laser-based rifle was rarely us?ed more than once. But things are different now. The buff patch improved the weapon by reducing heat buildup, increasing damage, and allowing it to set enemies on fire faster than ever.

The Scythe cuts through Terminid swarms like it never coul?d before, capable of taking out multiple War??riors and even a Brood Commander or two with a prolonged stream. It may even work better against Automatons. In my experience, I can rip through up to three Devastators in a row if you target their heads. The Dagger is also much better than before, and I have brought it along on bug hunts to swat Shriekers from the sky.

6. Thermite Grenade is worth taking

Let's face it: Practically no one recommended the Thermite Grenade when it became available. The slow-burning grenade dished out a measly 100 points of damage to an enemy it attached to. Against smaller chaff enemies, that's barely okay. Now? Hell, I rarely joined a party that didn't have at least one Helldiver packing the things. They're just too damn good, and everyone seems to know it now.

The grenade got a massive buff with the patch, which increased its damage from 100 to a staggering 2,000. Its fuse time was also decreased, meaning you didn't have to slap a Charger's ass with one and then spend the next five seconds playing keep ?away. The downside? You can only bring three as opposed to four. Oh, no. Anyway, that's what the Engineering Kit Armor Passive is for.

5. Eagle 500kg Bomb goes BOOM

I love the Eagle 500kg Bomb, and I always have (and always will). But even I was completely aware that the massive explosion it emitted wasn't as deadly as it should have been. While the ??bomb was ?powerful, the radius of the explosion meant a lot of enemies were somehow able to walk away from it unscathed. No more.

The Eagle 500kg Bomb got an increased damage radius with the patch, and it's better than ever. It's nice to know that when you throw this mamma jamma at a group of enemies, all that'll be left are dust and echoes. Hell, I don't even half mind getting turned to ash because I mis?took its current radius for the old one. Getting dus??ted along with about 40 bugs is the Democratic way to go out.

4. Automaton Fabricator gets armor and a health pool

Once, the best way to remove an Automaton Fabricator, the machine that spawns more bots, was to toss a grenade into its vent or hit it with an Eagle or an orbital attack. That changed with the Commando, which could one-shot fabricators at any angle. And life was good. The ability to wipe out a fabricator? from across the map was so beloved that many players demanded it stay.

The buff patch changed the fabricators, giving them both armor and health values. What does that mean? Well, the good news is that the change makes it possible for any we?apon to destroy a fabricator. What was once a far more difficult task wasn't made mundane but offered players more options when attacking bot bases.

The ?Commando can no longer wipe out a fabricator in one shot; it takes two instead.?? That's not a tough pill to swallow. This is one of the best changes in the patch as it aligns with the community's desire for even more options.

3. Chargers of all kinds get a much-needed rework

Ah, finally, we have reached the Charger rework. The hulking heavy enemy of the undemocratic Terminid forces has been a hot-button topic among the Helldivers 2 community since the game's launch. Taking one?? out was often a group effort, but fighting a single Charger was never the issue. They became a problem on higher difficulties, where you would suddenly need to contend with three or more at a time. The Railgun nerf only highlig??hted a greater need for combat options.

The Charger should be a threat, but ??at the same time, players must also be able to deal with more than one at a time �the patch fixes this in its own way. All variants of the Charger were reworked with the patch. Their armor and heal?th values were decreased, and attacking exposed flesh increases damage dealt by a massive 300%. Chargers also charge less often, and their ability to turn on a dime while chasing you down was reduced. The Chargers I've faced are still scary, but fighting several at once is far more manageable.

2. Support weapon changes allows for even more variety

Support weapons are more viable now, thanks to the buff patch. Before, many players would pick from a shortlist of powerful options. The EAT, Quasar Cannon, and Recoilless Rifle were among the few support options that divers consistently took on missions. I've always liked the idea of the Laser Cannon, but the armor of mo?st heavy foes made the t?hing feel more like a big laser pointer.

Four weapons most players wouldn't take against heavies are now useful against them. The Laser Cannon, Heavy Machine Gun, Autocannon, Flamethrower, and the Anti-Materiel Rifle can dish out damage to heavy enemies. It's a strange feeli?ng to sprint up to a Bile Titan and start cooking its belly with the Laser Cannon, but I'd be damned if it didn't work. And it's a lot of fun. Yes, team, hurting enemies with weapons that should hurt is somehow a positive change that took months to be delivered.

1. Emote wheel... just emote wheel

Last but certainly not least, the patch included a feature that players have demanded for more than half a year: An emote wheel. The hug emote has been the universal pick since its inception, but sometimes you just want to salute a mini-nuke explosion or play rock, paper, scissors while waiting for the shuttle to arrive. Y??ou get four customizable options for emotes, letting you high-five, salute, get your finger pulled, or hug it out, all in the same mission. What a time to be alive.

The post The ??11 biggest changes from the big Helldivers 2 buff patch after days of tests appeared first on Destructoid.

The MLS-4X Commando is an anti-tank Stratagem in Helldivers 2 that may just replace the one you call your favorite. A lase??r-guided, quad-missile launcher, the Commando can chew through enemy big boys in the right hands.

The Commando is available for purchase via the Ship Management system for a mere 8,000 Requisition Points. It's a paltry sum for one of the best Stratagems you can add to your arsenal. Plus, its name is a movie reference! And as my editor will tell you with a heaving sigh, I can't get enough exhausting references from 1980s Arnold Schwarzenegger action flicks. Stick around... and learn how? to best use the Commando.

How to use the MLS-4X Commando

The MLS-4X Commando is an anti-tank missile launcher. It provides its user with four missiles that, on impact, can wipe out most regular enemies. But it's more favored against armored elites, especially those of the Automaton v?ariety.

With a 120-second cooldown timer, the disposable Commando does take longer to replenish than the EAT-17 (at 70 seconds). The latter weapon, though, only gives you two shots?? per drop. For the money, the Commando edges out its competition in several ways.

The missiles may be weaker than the EAT's rockets, but you can guide them toward enemies. To do so, hold your aiming button and line up an enemy with the blue laser beam. Once you have your target, pull the trigger and guide the missile as it flies. Keep the laser just?? ahead of your target if it's moving. The further away an enemy is, the harder the shot. Try and stay at a medium distance.

Following these steps, you should be able to master shooting the Commando. Though there ar??e wrong ways to go about it.

Against many enemies, one missile is typically all you need. The Commando can stagger most enemy types as well, giving you ample time for a follow-up shot. It can take out Bile Spewers, Brood Commanders, and Deva??stators with a single hard slap to the face. But you'll likely e??nd up using it against the Heavies, such as the Bile Titan and Hulk. So, how does the Commando fare?

Commando tips for Automaton forces and Elites

The MLS-4X Commando is best used against the vile Automaton forces of Helldivers 2. With slow-moving walkers with glowing weak points and flying ships, a laser-guided missile launcher feels right at home. Ignore most flak like the Automaton Trooper and save the Commando for the real bru??isers.

One-shot kills:

• Berserker
• Devastator

  • Aim for the shoulder or head not covered by a shield when facing a Heavy Devastator.

• Hulks

  • Aim for the "eye" weak point to kill it with a single missile. Hitting the back vent may also destroy it in one shot.

Two-shot kills:

• Tanks

  • Two shots to the back vent should be all you need, but hitting the turret can also cause damage.

• Gunship

  • Striking the engine can destroy it in one shot, but it sometimes takes two.

• Dropship

  • These can go down in two or more shots if you aim at the engine pods.

The Factory Strider is a different kind of beast altogether. Its top-mounted ??gun can be destroyed by the Commando in two shots, which makes the weapon ideal against the walking beast. Dumping all four shots to its face seems to dish out a lot of damage, but it is somewhat inconsistent. It's recommended you hit the turret if you're at a distance or run up and fire into its belly when its Devastator bays are open.

The Commando can no longer destroy an Automaton Fabricator in one shot. One of the early selling points of the weapon was its ability to decimate a Fabricator with a single guided missile. This is no longer the case following Helldivers 2 Patch 1.001.100.

Automaton Fabricators have been reworked to have set health and armor values. Many heavy weapons with high penetration can destroy a Fabricator, but the amount of shots will differ. The Commando can blow up an Automaton Fabricator with two missiles. While it's not quite as effective against the bot-producing buildings, the missile launcher still does an admirable j??ob.

Cannon Turrets can also be destroyed with two missiles without having to aim for the wea?k point, and Mortar Emp??lacements are gone with one shot.

Commando tips for Terminid forces and Elites

Sadly, the Commando is less con?sistent against the bug menace. But looking at the EAT and Railgun, that's pretty par for the course these days. Terminids do have a lot of large targets, though, making hitting your foes mostly effortless.

One-shot kills:

• Bile Spewer
• Nursing Spewer
• Brood Commander
• Hive Guard

  • Try hitting the softer points behind its shielded head.

Two or more shots:

• Charger

  • The Charger's key weak points are always its legs after removing the armor, but with the Commando you can kill it with one to three missiles by hitting its head.

• Bile Titan

  • The Bile Titan once more proves to be inconsistent with weak points. You can kill it by shooting it in the head with two missiles, but don't be surprised if you dump all four and still get barfed on.

• Stalker

  • Hate these things.

It's probably best not to take the Commando ?against Terminid Objective targets, as it can take multiple shots when a Hellbomb works better. It can dest?roy Bug Holes easily, though.

Flying enemies are also a no-go for the Commando. Instead, focus on the Heavies such as the Bile Titan and Chargers. You'll get enough ?of both if you play in Difficulty ??7 and beyond.

Final thoughts

Overall, the MLS-4X Commando is an excellent Stratagem in Helldivers 2 and should be added to your armory as soon as possible. Giv??en? that it can destroy Fabricators with a single shot, the weapon is already in the top five. Naturally, it should be one of your top picks when it comes to facing Automatons.

It's useful against Terminids, but you won't get as much bang for your buck. Instead, you?? should still consider taking the EAT-17, as it hits harder than its younger cousin. You'll want that extra oomph when facing Bile Titans and Chargers, both of which can shrug off damage whenever they feel like it.

The post Helldivers 2: How to best use the MLS-4X Commando – Tips and strats appeared first on Destructoid.

The Bile Titan is akin to the general of the Terminid army in Helldivers 2. It's a massive beast, towering over everything on four tall legs. There are multiple ways to kill the Bile Titan in Helldivers 2, one of which is quick. Sometimes.

The best way to kill a Bile Titan in Helldivers 2 is by turning it to mulch with a powerful Secondary Weapon or Stratagem. Weapons like the EAT-17 and Quasar Cannon do a ton of damage to the hulking monstrosity, especiall??y if you aim a?t its head �the Bile Titan's primary weak point.

How to kill a Bile Titan in Helldivers 2

It's up for debate how much damage a Bile Titan must take before toppling over like a stack of lawn chairs. A couple of shots to the face with an EAT can do it, but the bug ma??y need more before you can convince it to give up the ghost. No, you can't fire away with the Railgun until its head expl??odes �not anymore, that is.

As far as Stratagems go, the Bile Titan isn't a fan of the Eagle 500kg Bomb or the Orbital Railgun. The latter is a better idea if you want to go for the kill shot, but keep in mind that the Titan may shrug off the first slug. Yes, it's a bit inconsistent. My favorite methods are the 500kg Bomb and the Orbital Laser. Keep in mind that the bomb beacon must? be dropped in the Bile Titan's path. You can be smart about it, though.

The best method to kill a Bile Titan wit??h an?? Eagle 500kg Bomb:

• Get the Bile Titan's attention by shooting it or entering its view
• Allow the Titan to get close and prepare a bile spew
• As it begins the above, drop the beacon under the Titan and run

Helldivers 2: Bile Titan weak points

The Bile Titan is a Heavy enemy and, like the Charger, is coated in a heavy c??arapace that acts as armor save for a couple of squishy spots. For th?e Titan, the soft, green belly is a smart target for you and your team to take advantage of, and here's why.

The Bile Titan has two attacks based on distance. When close, the Bile Titan will stomp on you with its massive legs. If you're ?out of reach, it spews a jet stream of green bile that can kill you in seconds. That's why you'll want to target its belly to stop it from firing acid.

Use weapons to inflict damage to its abdomen. The Bile Titan's belly, or its green abdomen, has its own health pool. After damaging it for long enough, you can pop the belly like a ??water balloon. Doing so will remove the Bile Titan's ability to spew acid. Once the belly is gone, the abdomen gets a?? second health pool. Depleting its health will ultimately kill the Bile Titan for good. In other words, you can use contemporary weapons to kill a titan, but you'll need to aim for its soft spot from down below. Watch out for its "feet!"

Best weapons to use on the Bile Titan in Helldivers 2

Consider using these Support Weapons to kill the Bile? Titan:

• EAT-17
• Quasar Cannon
• Recoilless Rifle
• Autocannon
• Spear
• Commando

Against the Titan's armor, the EAT-17 Expendable Anti-Tank works well. Try it as well as the Q??uasar Cannon, as they dish out the most damage q?uickly and reliably.

The sleeper hit from this list may be the Arc Thrower. It penetrates armor and can be fired from a considera??ble distance. The only drawback is that it can result in friendly-fire killings or prioritize smaller fries beneath it. You'd only want to use this weapon if the Bile Titan is by its??elf.

Do not use:

• Incendiary Grenade
• Stun Grenade

Do use the Thermite Grenade, which dishes out a staggering 2,000 points of damage. You can stick the grenad??????????????????????????e to any part of the Bile Titan to harm or kill it, but I suggest aiming ??for its soft belly. If you can't get a quick kill, you can at least remove its long-range attack.

Best Stratagems to use on the Bile Titan in Helldivers 2

The? best Strat??agems for killing the Bile Titan are:

• Eagle 500kg Bomb
• Orbital Laser
• Orbital Railcannon Strike
• Orbital 380MM HE Barrage
• Rocket Sentry
• Autocannon Sentry
• Patriot Exosuit

Other Stratagems?? that aren't listed here have reportedly worked for other players, but the ones here have been more consistent overall.

You can also take down a Bile Titan using a sentry and some good planning. A Rocket or Autocannon sentry bo?th do work against the beast, but you'll need to drop them well outside of its acid range.

The Exosuit mech is equipped with a heavy machine gun and rocket launcher. Three to four blasts with its rockets can take down a Bile Titan with ease. If you're ever in a pinch and need some fast clearing, this glass cannon can ??be just what you need to turn the tide in battle.

Can you kill a Bile Titan with a Hellpod?

Killing?? a Bile Titan with a Hellpod isn't the best idea unless it has already taken significant damage or has exposed flesh. While the titan does take damage, if you don't kill it with that one shot you'll find yourself in acid and leg range. It's a lot to ask from a human cannonball.

What else works against the Bile Titan? Well, for one lucky Helldiver, a Charger is a potent projectile when used properly.

The post Helldivers 2: How to kill a Bile Titan appeared first on Destructoid.

The big buff patch that arrived this week for Helldivers 2 apparently introduced a new bug that allows players to fly across the map. Man, what is it with emotes in Helldivers 2 and th??eir ability to let players d??efy gravity with such confidence?

Players on the official Helldivers subreddit recently revealed the exploit. In a short video clip, a player rhythmically taps the Emote button to, well, teabag through the air with the greatest of ease.

According to the poster, the exploit was unintentionally discovered when they were trying to make use of a different exploit tied to emotes. In July, players learned that emoting while hurtling through the air may ??prevent lethal fall ??damage. It looks like it's not just the weapons that got buffed by the patch.

Arrowhead can work on the Jump Pack later

Anyone who has played games long enough will understand that updates and patches can lead to bugs. Helldivers 2 is certainly no stranger to the idea. The game typically experiences issues brought by patches, ranging ??from new bugs to crashes. In this case, the bug was likely introduced by the new emote wheel function that was added by the update. I'd take surprise flying powers over a new way for the game to crash any day, thanks.

The bug will likely get fixed eventually. Emoting to prevent fall damage is a glitch that has remained, likely due to the Arrowhead CEO enthusiastically endorsing it. But flying for free isn't something I can see remaining in the game. If anything, those averse to gravity will have to wait for a Jump Pack buff, which is in the plans according to creative director Johan Pilestedt.

Until then, I expect to see my fellow divers tea-bagging their way across the land to power-squat on Shrieker Nests with authority. If we can't win this war with weapons, we'll d??o so with Slavic intimidation.

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Helldivers 2 is an online PvE game, where the E part is generally made up of hundreds of pissed-off bugs or gun-wielding robo?ts. It's a hard game for those who seek challenge, but the latest buff patch may be making things too easy for some players �and the CCO agrees.

Developer Arrowhead Games released the largest patch yet for Helldivers 2 on September 17, 2024. It reworked enemies and applied massive buffs across the game's vast array of weapons and Stratagems. Guns hit harder, and bugs die fast??er than ever. In an attempt to balance things out, Helldivers take more damage to their limbs and torso. But for some, the overwhelming power may be a bit much for even the hardest difficulty setting.

Helldivers 2 could get a new difficulty level following the patch

The CCO of Arrowhead and the Helldivers 2 creative director Johan Pilestedt agrees. Taking to X, he asked followers for their thoughts on the new patch. Many were elated, telling Pilestedt that Helldivers 2 is better than ever. But there was a??t?? least one who said the game needed an even harder difficulty.

"I agree," Pilestedt replied. As for the name of this pr?oposed new mode, he posted replies that covered "Extra super helldive" and "Extra Super Duper Helldive," with the latter being his own suggestion. I'll throw my hat in the ring and vote for "Super-De-Duper Helldive."

The user isn't alone in this sentiment. Some in the Helldivers subreddit have said the patch makes the game easier for them. Naturally, th??is sparked a response from many who disagre?e, and think the game feels more balanced with Arrowhead's "glass cannon" approach.

Personally, having play?ed some hours fighting bots and bugs in Helldive, I think the difficulty is at a good spot. While I'm not a big fan of getting RKO'd by a random Hive Guard from behind, the weapons and reworks feel great.

The game is also still difficult, at least in my experience. I have only won about half my missions since the patch. But I'm chalking that up to r?elearning the game more than putting the fault squarely on the update. Maybe when the Super-est Helldive arrives, complaints about the challenge will decrease. But who am I kidding?

The post Some Helldivers 2 players feel game needs a high??er difficulty after the buff patch, and the CCO agrees appeared first on Destructoid.

Developer Arrowhead Games made good on its promise, launching the biggest patch yet for Helldivers 2. Wea?pons were buffed, enemies were reworked, and my precious Eruptor got its groove back (welcome back, shrapnel). But most of all, the community appears happy and players are r??eturning.

"This is honestly the best patch ever," reads the headline of a post on the game's official subreddit. Such headlines have become more fre??quent, drowning out the cascade of posts written by frustrated community members.? It feels like it's been a long time coming.

Members of the Helldivers 2 community have been vocally quite unhappy with how the game has been managed. In the last several months, many have bemoaned weapons nerfs and reworks. Players have suggested that the constant patches and updates harmed the effectiveness of weapons and stratagems, reducing their options when dealing with heavies such as Chargers. As disappointment reached a fever pitch, some players even decided to do the unthinkable: Turn treasonous.

What a difference it's been s??ince the patch dropped.

Helldivers 2 players return, as memes replace discontent

Players on the community subreddit and X have been heaping praise on Arrowhead following the patch. The difference has been night and day. I visit the Helldivers subreddit several times a week an??d, until recently, it was mostly me doom-scrolling like I was punishing myself by hopping on X. It's quite the change, seeing angry posts get replaced by joyous applause.

Johan Pilestedt, the CCO of Arrowhead, took to X to ask for everyone's thoughts on the patch. While? there was at least one saying it was too late, oth?ers' replies were certainly more positive.

"I haven't had this much fun with the game in months," reads a reply by X user Swany.?? "I think you guys r?eally knocked it out of the park."

Things aren't perfect yet, however. Some are concerned that the game is easier now that weapons are more powerful. On a more serious note, there are still many countries that have been locked out due to a PlayStation Network account requirement. It's been mont??hs, and there hasn't been much word of a fix.

But, for the most part, things seem to be on the rise. Players are returning to the game, with SteamDB showing a steady rise to 68K players on Steam. It's a big jump from the game's lowest point of 15K players in early September. The in-game player count is even more impressive, with around 90K players reported the night the patch landed.

Things are looking up once again for the game. Today also marks the launch of the new Premium Warbond, Chemical Agents. So far, it seems like another hit for Arrow?head. Let's hope the momentum continues.

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When it comes to a galactic-scale infestation, it's best to bring the biggest can of bug spray you can find. Helldivers 2 brings what you need with its latest Chemical Agents Warbond, a content pack with everything you need to take on t??he ??universe's worst space roaches.

Chemical Agents is the latest in a line of Premium Warbonds for Helldivers 2. To access it, you'll need to purchase it via the Acquisitions Menu, which you access from aboard your Super Destroyer ship. As it is a Premium item, you must exchange 1,000 Super Credits (SC) for? the pack.

Super Credits can be purchased with real-life cash, costing $10 for 1,000 SC. You can also find SC during missions. Once y??ou have enough, scroll down the list to the Warbond and choose to unlock it.

Everything in the Helldivers 2 - Chemical Agents Warbond and their cost

Like with the Warbond before, Chemical Agents includes two new armor sets, vehicle wraps for the mech, shuttle, Hellpod, and more. There are no typical weapons, but two Stratagems. The third is a weapon you can equip as part of your kit, but it's technically non-lethal. By technically?, I mean it's non-lethal so long as you choose not to bludgeon an enemy to death with it.

Stratagems

Grenade

Armor Sets

Chemical Agents comes with two new armor sets which include armor, a helmet, and a cape. The sets are equipped with a new Armor Passive ca?lled Advanced Filtration, which offers 80% r?esistance to gas damage.

Armor Passive: Advanced Filtration

• Provides 80% resistance to gas damage and effects.

Armor

Capes

• Standards of Safe Distance (Page 1) - 8 Warbond Medals
• Patient Zero's Remembrance (Page 2) - 20 Warbond Medals

Helmets

• AF-50 Noxious Ranger (Page 1) - 30 Warbond Medals
• AF-02 Haz-Master (Page 2) - 35 Warbond Medals

Victory Poses and Emote

• Ew (Page 1) - 8 Warbond Medals
• Natural Gas Extraction (Page 3) - 70 Warbond Medals

The emote, Natural Gas Extraction, is a "pull my finger" joke for those of us with a juvenile sense of humor. You better believe I'm getting ready to a??sk all my allies to do me a solid and experience the gas.

Super Credits

• 100 SC (Page 1) - 7 Warbond Medals
• 100 SC (Page 2) - 12 Warbond Medals
• 100 SC (Page 3) - 32 Warbond Medals

Player Cards

• Standards of Safe Distance (Page 1) - 2 Warbond Medals
• Patient Zero's Remembrance (Page 2) - 5 Warbond Medals

Player Title

• Expert Exterminator (Page 3) - 20 Warbond Medals

Vehicle Patterns (Skins)

Vehicle patters, or skins, can be applied to the Hellpod, Shuttle, or Exosuit. To do so, you need to enter the Ship Management menu while aboard your Super Destroyer. Next, navigate to the patterns tab, then scroll through the vehicles and choose the skin. You must have an Exosuit unlocked via the Stratagems menu to apply skins to it.

• Mustard Hellpod Pattern (Page 1) - 20 Warbond Medals
• Mustard Shuttle Pattern (Page 2) - 50 Warbond Medals
• Mustard Exosuit Pattern (Page 3) - 50 Warbond Medals

That about wraps up everything in the Chemical Agents Premium Warbond for Helldivers 2. Keep in mind that gas no longer behaves the same way following the big buff patch. While it ??still damages foes, it also causes confusion to?? enemies and fellow divers. The new Armor Filtration passive should help you and allies, however. But it won't make you immune to the damage and effects of the gas. Make sure you aim well.

The post Helldivers?? 2: Everything in the Chemical Agents Warbond and their cost appeared first on Destructoid.

Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead Games has promised major changes for its live-service game, with full implementation within 60 days. Ahead of the big patch next week, the Helldivers 2 ?team will showcase daily previews of what's to ??come, starting with a Flamethrower buff.

A Flamethrower buff has been in high demand (a rebuff, technically), but so have many things regarding the game. The disgruntled Helldivers 2 community has bemoaned Arrowhead's handling of the game since its explosive launch. Weapon nerfs, bugs (no, not the crawly kinds), balance issues, more nerfs... the list goes on. Some Helldivers have even turned treasonous, stepping out of the way of enemy force?s as they marched to Su??per Earth.

We still don't have that review bomb cape, which at this point is more a reflection of ?some players' general feelings toward the game.

Of buffs, bugs, and Bile Titans

In August, the developer laid out a 60-day plan to steer the ship around. The team promised fire damage changes, balance fixes, and full reworks. Patch 01.001.007 is bringing many of these changes on September 17. Today, CCO Johan Pilestedt paired up with Design Director Niklas Malmborg to share a p?review of things to come.

In a short video posted to social media, the two developers confirmed that the patch will increase the damage of flame weapons, like the Flamethrower, by 33%. The Flamethrower will also be able to pierce armor ?once again, meaning it'll be useful against Chargers,? Bile Titans, and other armored foes.

But it's been proven before that too much of a good thing can be pretty bad. Hopefully, Arrowhead can strike a balance with fire damage so we can avoid the matchstick incident from earlier in the y???ear. I'd like to not go up like a fire tornado the moment my cape gets a bit singed.

The preview i??s but one of many more to come. Arrowhead is promising?? "a buff a day," showcasing an aspect of the patch until it launches on September 17. I'm crossing my fingers for my beloved Eruptor.

The post Helldivers 2 dev??eloper is doing daily previews of the next patch, starting with a Flamethrower buff appeared first on Destructoid.

Helldivers 2 has turned out to be a way, way more complicated game to manage than anyone anticipated to be. This includes its developer, Arrowhead Games, with the team struggling to stay on top of Helldivers 2's problematic meta. A new update, t?hough, is coming, and it's coming soon.

Notably, the current Arrowhead Games CEO, Shams Jorjani, has responded to one player's concerns about the state of the Thermite Grenade, telling them to "see how [they] feel in 2 weeks." This suggests that some manner of balancing will be dropping in within the next 14 days, which puts this potential update well ahead of Arrowhead's prior 60-day rebalancing plan. There's ?potential for this to be a majorly positive ?showing, if that's what's really up.

Arrowhead CEO suggests a balancing update is coming our way within the next two weeks

Now, the really intriguing bit comes from a little while ago, when the former CEO, Johan Pilestedt, held an impromptu Q&A ses??sion on that very same Dis??cord. There, he promised a comprehensive rebalance of the Helldivers 2 meta in the coming weeks. Pilestedt's responses were obviously more far-reaching than anything that could quickly be plopped down into a balancing update. Yet, it's entirely reasonable to expect that the update Jorjani's hinting at would include some of the goodies Pil?estedt himself talked about.

At the very tail end of April, Pilested also discussed how a future update would make for a big "experience shift" for Helldivers 2. The update's goal? To make the game feel more like it did back on day one, at the very height of its glory and pop??ularity. "I have had a good time with the experience shift, a?nd it is closer to the original intent of the game and what it was at launch," he said at the time.

All of this combines to make for a very promising update. At the same time, I'd recommend keeping a pinch of salt at hand, just in case. The Escalation of Freedom update looked like an absolute slam dunk at the time, only for it to end up tanking Helldivers 2's meta in a particularly painful way. As I said at the start, balancing Helldivers 2 is no mean feat.

Now, I recently took a look back at Helldivers 2 in the context of Magicka. Magicka was, for a long while, Arrowhead Game's most popular and beloved offering, but it ended up falling face-first into the mud. It's currently altogether brokend and an absolute crash bonanza if you're not using a community patch, and if we're being honest, many of the game's problems came about due to Arrowhead's inexperience in gamedev at the time. Thing is, Arrowhead is seemingly repeating many of those problems with Helldivers 2, too, and I can't help but wonder why that is the case. A ??staccato of solid, community-applauded updates could still turn things around, thankfully, and I've got my fingers crossed this is the start of it.

The post A new Helldivers ??2 balancing update is coming v?ery soon appeared first on Destructoid.

I love Magicka. It's one of the most broken, poorly balanced games I've ever spent dozens of hours playing, and that's not a joke. Arrowhead Games' old classic actually shares a lot of DNA with Helldivers 2, and after looking into its development history, stuf??f's ?begun to make sense.

For context, I'm basing a huge chu??nk of my thoughts in this artic??le on three different sources:

• My personal experience with Arrowhead's output (I was one of those who played The Showdown Effect)
• The community's experiences with Helldivers 2 which is extremely hard to miss if you frequent the game's main subreddit
• A 2011 postmortem of Magicka was posted on GameDeveloper, where the former Arrowhead CEO (and current CCO) Johan Pilestedt explained many of the team's mistakes.

The latter is an excellent article in general, but more specifically, it's just about all the insight you need into Arrowhead Games' production capacities. It's a mirror, too, of what's going on with Helldivers 2 at this time, as the game just keeps jumping from o?ne worl?d-ending crisis into another without a pause.

I'm not interested in kicking Helldivers 2 while it's down at all. I enjoy it quite a lot even today, even as a solo player, and I genuinely believe it's going to improve at some point. If you need a bit of hope in this re?gard, look no further than Pilestedt's own little Q&A that recently wen?t up on Discord. It's good stuff, though it obviously remains to be seen whether Arrowhead can deliver all that.

That being what it is, I feel like it might be useful for those who aren't familiar with Magicka and Helldivers 1 to get a sense of why this game is having so many problems. Because, really, though it might feel like Arrowhead is a mostly unknown quantity from a casual, mainstream point of view, this really couldn't be further from the truth. Quite the opposite, in fact, as the studio is seemingly repeating some of the mistakes it did with Magicka in the late aughts.

Helldivers 2 is a repeat of Magicka in some key ways, and that's not a compliment

As I said before, you should read up on that interview with Pilestedt if you want to get into the nitty-gritty of what made (and broke!) Magicka back in the day. It's an excellent article, and I genuinely feel it will help readers understand what might be going on with Helldivers 2 in the background. ?Here are some pertinent facts to keep in mind if you don't have th?e time to do so, though:

• Arrowhead massively underestimated the amount of work it would take to make Magicka, by a whopping 700 percent.
• Magicka was being made to be a "niche" game, which allowed Arrowhead to easily "filter and dismiss "incorrect" feedback from certain well-established people that knew the industry better." Later on, Pilestedt admits that some of this advice had a bearing on their situation: "It was almost as if we were told about the exact position of all the mines in a minefield and we still, like some sort of imbeciles, were compelled to step on them."
• The game's instability wasn't apparent until it was released on Steam, where a "huge number of people bought it the first day" and encountered "severe bugs and crashes."
• There wasn't a grand plan for the production of the game, leading to the release of content that shouldn't have been pushed out: "All that existed was a timeline on the whiteboard with numbered weeks associated with levels and features. If a level slipped past the week to which it was assigned, we would just consider it "good enough" -- even though it was missing crucial gameplay features."
• Pilestedt adds that his team had a "tendency of having to experience mistakes before learning from them," which "kept haunting [Arrowhead] throughout the entire development process."

I'm sure you get the point by now. I'm not saying that Helldivers 2 is a scaled-up carbon copy of the problematic development of Magicka, but I am saying that the two games appear to rhyme in some key ways. What does that mean, exactly? Maybe nothing. Possibly everything. ??This is the same studio we're talking about, after all, with many of the same people spearheading its production pipelines and project management.

It's not too late to start playing Helldivers 2, not by a long shot, but Arrowhead has been burning through player goodwill at a frankly ridiculous rate. I'm wondering just how many times the CEO or CCO will need t?o explain themselves (again) and promise to do better, only for the next update to tank things further.

I still believe Helldivers 2 is a good game. Frankly, I still think it's one of the best releases of the year and beyond. It's just that it's turned out to be a bit of a hot potato for Arrowhead, and the studi??o seems not to have put on its gloves yet.

Unlike Magicka, Helldivers 2 still has a chance of rising beyond its problems

As it currently stands, Magicka is kind of toast. The game is thoroughly broken and ??unplayable without a community patch, and there's virtually no chance of it ever being officially fixed. There is Magicka 2, but it wasn't made by Arrowhead at all, so it's not relevant to my argument.

Helldivers 2, however, doesn't have to share this fate. It seems all but obvious that Arrowhead Games and PIlestedt himself have repeated some pretty big mistakes in developing this game. The team is now struggling to keep up with the community's demand for more content on top of having some questionable balancing choices. Both of these problems, though, can be resolved in due time.

I genuinely believe that the last couple of months have just been Helldivers 2's teething issues as Arrowhead scrambles to nudge itself into live-service operations mode??. The game is simply too important both for Arrowhead and for Sony to keep driving it into the mud, and Pilestedt's outlined plan for the game's future updates is excellent.

For this to happen, though, I'm hoping that Arrowhead does end up looking back at what happened to Magicka. It's an excellent example o??f what can happen to a fun, funny, and zeitgeisty game if it's mishandled, and it really was Arrowhead's doing at the time.

The post Is Helldivers 2 repeating Magicka’s mistakes? appeared first on Destructoid.

The Helldivers 2 community is currently locked in against a Major Order requiring them to kill 750,000,000 Terminids and 500,000 Bile Titans. At the time of writing, players are just over 50% of the way through these, but one bu???g type is making life particularly challenging: Chargers.

Terminids are definitely the easiest of the two factions currently in Helldivers 2 for players to battle in missions. However, Chargers, the heavily armored tanks of the Termind's ranks, chase players down, ram them while they're standin??g still, and generally cause havoc with everyone's plans. With the current Major Order requiring players to focus so much on Terminid missions, players are sharing their frustrations with these behemoths a?s well as strategies for dealing with them.

Death to all Chargers

Fans on the Helldivers 2 subreddit have been sharing more frustrations than usual about Chargers because so many of us are hitting Terminid missions. This post from Sad-Needleworker-590 encapsulates many of the pro?blems I've been having.

Chargers have absolutely no business climbing vertical cliffs, especially when we've just watched them fall off of those cliffs. In addition, this enemy hits so hard that they annihilate any sort of wea??pon e?mplacement such as machine guns, meaning unless a teammate can help you take them out before they reach you, you've got to bail out before the ensuing explosion.

Instead of sharing woes about Chargers, user Unoriginal_Burner shared a strategy for dealing with them. They show how the Aurburst Rocket Launcher, a heavy weapon Stratagem you can call down in missions, can tackle a Charger before it reaches you. This weapon is lethal in the wrong hands, killing teammates or the user. But in this case, it obliterates the biggest barrier to killing Terminids Helldivers 2 has to offer, so it should be an essential Stratag??em for the current Major Order.

Chargers weren't so much of an issue in Helldivers 2 until the Escalation of Freedom update changed how fire damage worked in the game. Since then, the weapon that was best ?at dealing with Chargers, the flamethrower, hasn't been anywhere near as e?ffective, giving Chargers a huge advantage when it comes to missions on Helldiver or the new Super Helldive difficulty.

Considering players have managed to destroy 100 million Terminids in 3 hours in the past, the current Major Order shouldn't be too much of a problem. Players have the entire weekend to complete it, and this usually brings a big boost to player numbers. My one problem with the Major Order is that it's yet more of the same because Arrowhead ??Game Studios still hasn't dealt with the ex??ploits hackers use to ruin the other types of obje?ctives the developer could be setting us.

The post Chargers are making Helldivers 2’s current Major Order much harder than it needs to be appeared first on Destructoid.

It feels like Helldivers 2 has been in hot water for this reason or the other basically from the get go. The infamous Escalation of Freedom update didn't fare all that well, either, prompting the former CEO of Arrowhead Games to talk?? to the community via an unexpected? Q&A.

Pilestedt left his former position as the CEO to take up a more hands-on approach to developing Helldivers 2 as the new CCO. While the game hasn't really made good on all of its promises from that point onwards, Pilestedt has remained one of the community's favorite Arrowhead developers due to his penchant for discussing upcoming content and explaining the reasoning for why Helldivers 2? is going in the direction it's been going. H??is latest Q&A on Discord is no different, in that respect.

Arrowhead CCO Johan Pilestedt reveals lots about Helldivers 2 in recent Q&A

The full Pilestedt Q&A is far?? too long to be discussed in a short article, but I highly recommend checking out the featured Reddit post to sell all the items he talked about there. If you're interested in a short, to-the-point summary, though, I'm thrilled to oblige:

• Pilestedt says weapons "should feel powerful - as it says on the box"
• Arrowhead Games is currently operating at roughly 80% of capacity due to the recent vacation season in Sweden
• Helldivers 1-style boss encounters are "maybe" coming to Helldivers 2
• Review bombing cape is still on the docket, Arrowhead "don't want to release it until [they] get more clarity on the country [availability] issue; the game may yet return to sale in some countries
• There's some "tech instability" in regard to Helldivers 2's performance
• Arrowhead is working on a "color mod system" similar to the current vehicle customization feature
• Good chance of releasing weapons with infra-red and night vision optics in the "long-term"
• The current, nerfed version of the Flamethrower was "not iterated upon enough and the VFX looks like [Team Fortress 1]"
• A variety of Helldivers 1 content is bound to be released in Helldivers 2 down the line (e.g. LAS-13, AT-47, EXO-51, etc.)
• An experimental testing server for Helldivers 2 is coming "at some point," is currently being worked on
• Pre-saved gear loadouts are in the works
• Some manner of weapon upgrading and customization is coming
• Removing the Eruptor's shrapnel effect was "the wrong way to go"

That's a whole lot of information, of course, and the really impressive bit is that Pilestedt's interview goes into even more detail on each of these topics and then some. S??eriously, I cannot recommend?? reading through the featured Reddit thread enough.

Keeping all of the above in mind, members of the Helldivers 2 community raised a ??very good point very recently:

Arrowhead Games is currently struggling to keep up with the community's demands, often delivering nerfs where players feel none are needed, as was the case with the Flamethrower, Eru??ptor, and Railgun weapons - among many others.

On August 14, Arrowhead promised to deliver a ba??lancing plan within the next 60 days that should inform players as to what'll be happening with the game's meta in the future, but who knows how that might pan out once it's finally shown off. Further, even if the plan works out fine, can Arrowhead deliver upon its promises? Whatever the case may be, at least the game is fun as long as you stick to the lower difficulties.

The post For??mer Arrowhead CEO has an impromptu Discord Q&A about Helldivers 2 and beyond appeared first on Destructoid.

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-se??rvice 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 th?at the team has been listening to feedback over the last week. After some reflection, 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 incon??sistencies in our approach to ga??me balance and game direction.

"All of that is on us and we are going to own that. As many of you have pointe??d out, and we agree, what matte?rs 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 commun?ity 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 outline?d a plan 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 (courte?sy of Arrowhead Games):

• Continue to re-examine our approach to balance. Our intention is that balance should be fun, not “balancedâ€?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 and 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.

The post Helldivers 2 director lays out 60-day plan for balance refocus, fire damage changes, and ?Charger rework appeared first on Destructoid.

I never thought I'd see the day. Helldivers 2 players frustrated with the recent balance updates are considering treason. As Automaton forces draw near Super Earth, some are suggesting standing by and letting the invasion take place.

Currently, only 2,500 Helldivers are protecting their home planet of Super Earth from Automaton forces that are one s?ector away from a full-on invasion. The Kelvin Sector, sandwiched between Super Earth and the embattled Marsipa Sector, is the only safe space between home and the blood-thirsty bots. But that may change soon.

Helldivers 2 players voicing their grievance and citing prior weapon nerfs are now toying with the idea of treason and allowing the bots to march t?hrou??gh unscathed.

The enemy within

Last week, developer Arrowhead Games launched Escalation of Freedom. The update brought more content to Helldivers 2, including new enemies, objectives, and more. It also introduced balance changes, nerfing the Incendiary Breaker and Flamethrower weapons. Angry players in the community lashed out against th??????????????????????????e changes, once again review-bombing the game on Steam.

Since then, that anger has seemed to simmer down to good, old-fashioned apathy. The Automatons are ready to march onto Supe??r Earth's ??doormat, and some don't seem to care anymore.

Other players seem more curious than vengeful. Clearing the path for Automatons clearly goes against the point of the game, and tosses cold water on the ooh-rah roleplaying shown by divers since the game's launch. Letting the bots win could throw a wrench in Arrowhead and Game Master Joel's machinations. Will they send out emergency orders? for the defense of Super Earth? Not every player cares for social media, so the??re should be plenty of divers willing to sacrifice themselves for their home planet.

We'll have to see just how things pan out. Arrowhead and Joel aren't likely to change the script (unless this is part of the script!), as the war isn't meant ??to end and restart over and over like with the first game.

Getting back on track

Arrowhead has responded to the issues. The team created a feedback form last week, allowing players to voice their conc??erns to the company directly. Arrowhead CEO Shams Jorjani has also taken to Discord to address concerns.

"I haven't spoken to everyone (on the team) of course - but many of us are disappointed on a few levels. On the one hand the update had a bunch of nice stuff that aren't getting talked about," Jorjani wrote in a response to a player. "Maybe deservedly so - as many aren't happy with the latest balance round. I think more broadly it also has us discussing the path ahead and what we can ?do to avoid this situation again. ie internal learnings, more changes in process etc."

Jorjani als??o mentioned t?hat discussing changes with the community via Discord posts won't be the norm, and will work toward improving communication.

"[This] is a huge pain point for me personally as well," he explained. "Our official communication about the game should be via blogs, streams and vlo?gs - not me posting here. That's being worked on."

The post Disgruntled Helldivers 2 players turn treasonous in protest of recent balance changes: ‘let them invade Super Earth’ appeared first on Destructoid.

Recent changes to the Flamethrower have left the Helldivers 2 community a bit hot under the collar. The Escalation of Freedom update included alter???ed the beloved weapon's lethality, leading to outrage on social media (again). Arrowhead has since responded, directing players to a feedback form.

Arrowhead's Katherine “Baskinator�Baskin shared a message today that assured the team wasn't ignoring the outcry of disappointment from?? its vocal fans. Baskin promised that the team has "heard [player] feedback," and is in discussions.

"We have heard your feedback about our change to fire and how it has affected flamethrowers, and we appreciate our community's continued honesty about how they feel about Helldivers 2," Baskin wr??ites. "We're now having ??a lot of internal discussions about the best course of action."

Tell it to the feedback form

Baskin followed up with another post, this time directing players to a Player Feedback Form. According to her, Arrowhead doesn't "want yo??ur thoughts and feelings to be lost in the channels," but is having difficulty keeping up with the deluge of messages.

Players can use the form to submit any thoughts, concerns, or suggestions, but there are some guidelines. You can only submit once per week, and "non-constructive and toxic submissions" will get binned. Arrowhead asks that feedback remain short and to the point, and focused on thoughts and opinions only. Here's the link if you're looking to share your thoughts.

Burning passions

For those unaware, some of the louder folks in the Helldivers 2 community are once more feeling a bit burned over recent weapon changes. The Escalation of Freedom update dished out some premium buffs. But it also nerfed the fan-favorite Flamethrower, removing its ability to pierce armor to make it behave "realistically." In a game that includes difficulty ranks that toss armored Chargers at you like a swarm of pissed-off hornets, people are natur?ally upset at potentially losing a great offensive option.

Since the update dropped on August 6, community members on Discord and the Helldivers 2 subreddit have been voicing their outrage. Players have accused Arrowhead of needless weapon nerfs over the months, pointing to the Railgun and Eruptor as examples. Helldivers 2 on Steam has once ??again been review-bombed and?? now sits at a "Mixed" rating.

Whether or not you agree with the changes is subjective. Frankly, it's good seeing Arrowhead respond with a feedback form. Hopefully, it'll mean the developer won't have to make two review bomb capes this year instead of the one.

The post Helldivers 2 dev resp??onds to ??flamethrower rage, introduces a player feedback form appeared first on Destructoid.

When fighting against the anti-democratic tyranny from Terminids and Automatons, it's important to know how difficulties work in Helldivers 2. The early missions ease you into the game as you learn how to face your foes. But things can get hairy the highe?r you go.

There are ten difficulties in Helldivers 2. You begin at Difficulty 1 - Trivial when you graduate the tutoria??l with your first cape. Trivi??al missions are often straightforward, teaching you the basics and pitting you against only small groups of foes. It's a stark contrast to Difficulty 9, in which most divers learn the true meaning of diving into Hell.

Helldivers 2 - How to advance difficulty levels

Helldivers 2 matches are called Missions, which fall under Operations. During the early stages, an Operation will consist of only one or two missio??ns. Successfully completing said missions results in rewards and eventually a finished Operation. Once the job is done, you can start another Operation. Failing a mission will fail the Operation.

You advance in difficulty tiers by completing Operations. Finishing an Operation at Difficulty 3, for example, unlocks Difficulty 4. You must complete an Operation at a certain difficulty to advance difficulty tiers.

Here is the list of difficulties, from one to ten:

• Difficulty 1: Trivial
• Difficulty 2: Easy
• Difficulty 3: Medium
• Difficulty 4: Challenging
• Difficulty 5: Hard
• Difficulty 6: Extreme
• Difficulty 7: Suicide Mission
• Difficulty 8: Impossible
• Difficulty 9: Helldive
• Difficulty 10: Super Helldive

A mission is considered successful if you and your team can complete the Major Objective: The primary goal. You do not need to survive for a mi?ssion to be successful; so long as the order is complete, you've done you??r job as a hero of Super Earth.

How rewards work

Rewards for successful missions can vary. Finishing the Main Objective rewards in Warbond Medals, which are used to unlock ?armor, weapons, and more.

You also earn experience points and Requisition Slips (the in-game currency) even if you don't survive, though you don't get as much as you would if you lived. The amount of experience points and Slips increase when you complete Major and Secondary Objectives, but decrease if you ignore some of?? the latter or don't ?extract with a full team.

Later difficulties will award you with bonus rewards. Starting with Difficulty 3 - Medium, you will gain a boost to XP and Requisition Slips in percentage as a bonus. Completing a Medium mission offers 25% more awards, f???or example.

Samples used to purchase new ship upgrades need to make it to extraction to be claimed. Any Samples left behind, stay?? behind. Safeguard those Samples!

Difficulty levels broken down

The higher you go in difficulty, the more challenging your experience becomes. At the lowest tiers, you only need to complete one mission for a successful Operation. The number of missions increases per Operation up to a maximum of three. Enemies also grow in number, and you'll face more Elites such as Chargers and Hulks. Eventually, these heavy foes go from ?something akin to bosses to?? appearing as regular enemies.

Rewards increase alongside difficulty. You'll earn more experience points, Requisition Slips, and Warbond ?Medals as you advance in tiers. You will also be able to recover rarer Samples, allowing you to unlock even more Ship Modules.

Below are the details of each difficulty, along with how many Medals you can earn with each subsequent mission along with Sa??mple types.

Enemy Outposts arrive with Difficulty 2. Outposts range in size, from Light to Medium and Hard. Outposts can contain a spawner, such as an Automaton Fabricator or Bug Hole. These spawners increase in numbe?r as you rise in rank, as will the challenge of knocking them all out.

Operation Modifiers start to appear once you reach Difficulty 5 - Hard. These mo?difiers randomly apply an effect on planets and can range from A?tmospheric Spores that obscure the map or one that increases Stratagem call-in time.

Difficulty 1: Trivial

Trivial difficulty tasks players with completing one Major Objective for mission completion. Often, these include 'Terminate Illegal Broadc?ast' or defeating a medium-level foe such as a ?Devastator.

• Warbond Medals: 1
• Samples: Common
• Details: Primary Objectives, Enemy Patrols
• Bonus: 0%

Difficulty 2: Easy

Easy Objectives also include one mission, but begin introducing tougher Objectives such as destroying bases and hunting down a Heavy enemy like the Hulk. Tactical Objectives (blue map icons) are introduced?.

• Warbond Medals:

  • 1st - 2

• Samples: Common
• Details: Allied Secondary Objectives, Light Outposts
• Bonus: 0%

Difficulty 3: Medium

Medium begins turning up the heat by challe?nging yo?u to complete two Missions per Operation. You'll also need to finish objectives such as sabotaging air bases or launching the ICBM. Secondary Missions (optional Tactical Missions) are introduced.

• Warbond Medals:

  • 1st - 2
  • 2nd - 4

• Samples: Common
• Details: Secondary Objectives, Medium Outposts
• Bonus: 25%

Difficulty 4: Challenging

Difficulty 4 - Challenging is the next stage up and is the first to introduce Major Objectives that have you hunt down and destroy Heavy elites like the Factory Strider. This is also where you will begin earning Rare Samples.

• Warbond Medals:

  • 1st - 3
  • 2nd - 5

• Samples: Common, Rare
• Details: Enemy Tactical Objectives, Heavy Outposts, Heavily Armored Enemies
• Bonus: 50%

Difficulty 5: Hard

Hard difficulty is where most players will begin to really feel the heat. From here on, you'll have to complete three Missions per Operation. Missions run the gamut of destroying Heav?y elites, defending against horde rushes, wiping out enemy spawn camps under a strict time ??limit, and more.

• Warbond Medals:

  • 1st - 4
  • 2nd - 6
  • 3rd - 8

• Samples: Common, Rare
• Details: Operation Modifiers, Massive Enemies, Heavily Armored Enemies
• Bonus: 75%

Difficulty 6: Extreme

Now things are getting fun. Difficulty 6 - Extreme is where the prior Heavy elites you've faced off for Major Objectives begin showing up alongside regular forces. These guys aren't bosses anymore. Many of the Objectives are roughly ??the same, but you'll start tackling denser enemy waves and patrols with short spawn timers?.

• Warbond Medals:

  • 1st - 5
  • 2nd - 7
  • 3rd - 9

• Samples: Common, Rare
• Details: Tactical Objectives Increase, Massive Enemies, Heavily Armored Enemies
• Bonus: 100%

Difficulty 7: Suicide Mission

Difficulty 7 is the wall that many Helldivers crash into. It's the first level in the final set, where enemies are numerous and belligerent, and Super Samples enter the field.

• Warbond Medals:

  • 1st - 6
  • 2nd - 8
  • 3rd - 10

• Samples: Common, Rare, Super
• Details: Tactical Objectives Increase, Massive Enemies, Heavily Armored Enemies
• Bonus: 150%

Difficulty 8: Impossible

Many veteran Helldivers swear that Difficulty 8 - Impossible is the one that feels the best, straddling the line between fun and challenging. Most Objectives are the same, but you'll face more Secondary Objectives ??and Operation Modifiers such as one that obscures?? the map.

• Warbond Medals:

  • 1st - 7
  • 2nd - 10
  • 3rd - 12

• Samples: Common, Rare, Super
• Details: Increased Enemy Presence, Multiple Operation Modifiers, Heavily Armored Enemies
• Bonus: 200%

Difficulty 9: Helldive

Difficulty 9 - Helldive was the hardest diff?iculty ahead of the Escalation of Freedom update. ?I suggest players be level 40 or higher before taking it on, as the amount of patrols and Heavy elites you face off against can be overwhelming. It's not for the faint of heart, but it provides good rewards �if you make it out alive.

• Warbond Medals:

  • 1st - 8
  • 2nd - 11
  • 3rd - 14

• Samples: Common, Rare, Super
• Details: Increased Enemy Presence, Multiple Operation Modifiers, Heavily Armored Enemies
• Bonus: 250%

Difficulty 10: Super Helldive

Super Helldive was introduced in the Escalation of Freedom update. It ramps things up even further than Helldive, and is meant for the most grizzled of ??players. Heavy presence is through the roof, and?? the ground crawls with dozens of enemies in large patrols. Teamwork and experience are paramount.

• Warbond Medals:

  • 1st - 9
  • 2nd - 12
  • 3rd - 15

• Samples: Common, Rare, Super
• Details: Increased Enemy Presence, Multiple Operation Modifiers, Heavily Armored Enemies
• Bonus: 300%

For more on Helldivers 2, check out our guides on how to use the MLS-4X Commando and Mortar Sentry.

The post All Helldivers 2 difficulties – Explained appeared first on Destructoid.

While guns, gear, and Stratagems can typically do the job in Helldivers 2, there's certainly no reason not to get a little more help in spreading democracy across the galaxy. Boosters are passive buffs you can get and equip in Helldivers 2, and they're worth the price.

Boosters can be unlocked in Helldivers 2 via Warbonds (the game's version of seasonal content). T?hey're not exactly cheap, with some appearing as exclusive Premium Warbond unlocks. But you should consider unlocking them as soon as you can, as they can be a great boon for you and your team. As mentioned, Boosters are passive buffs you can equip. They range from boosting your radar range to improving h?ealth or stamina.

Where to unlock Boosters in Helldivers 2

Free Warbond

To get a Booster, open up your Acquisitions menu in Helldivers 2 and check your Warbond paths. The basic, free Warbond, Helldivers Mobilize, includes six Boosters. The first Booster isn't available until Page 3 of the Warbond??, and it costs 15 Warbond Medals to?? unlock.

Here's the list of Boosters you can unlock in the Helldivers M??obilize Warbond:

Premium Warbonds (paid content)

There are five Premium Warbonds in Helldivers 2, each containing one new Booster you can unlock. Premium Warbonds can only be purchased via Super Credits (SC). The premium currency can be harvested during missions or purchased?? with real-life money. It costs 1,000 SC ($10) to purchase a Premium Warbond, which does pay you ba?ck a total of 300 SC ($3).

Here are the additional Boosters introduced by Helldivers 2's Premium Warbonds:

How to equip Boosters in Helldivers 2

You equip Boosters in Helldivers 2 the same way you choose Stratagems ahead of a new mission. During the loadout phase before you drop onto the planet, you'll get the option to choose four Stratagems. The yellow hexagon to the right of those Stratagem slots is where you equip a Booster. Highlight it and press the selection button or key to show your list of unlocked Boosters. Pick the one you want and equip it. You'll have to follow the same steps every match. To check on your list of Boosters, look for their tab in the Armory.

Be sure to check out our guide on the best Boosters in Helldivers 2.

There are some rules to consider with Boosters:

• You can only equip one Booster at a time.
• Boosters are applied to all Helldivers on a team and can't be chosen more than once to stack effects.
• Each member can equip a Booster, so work with your team to figure out what buffs are best suited for the mission.

Are Boosters consumable items in Helldivers 2?

It seems to be a common misconception that Boosters are consumable items in Helldivers 2 �they are not. Boosters purchased in a Warbond are unlocked permanently and can be used as many times?? as you desire. Don't be afraid to unlock them in your progress??ion path �they're worth the Medals.

The post How to get and use Boosters in Helldivers 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

Helldivers 2 is turning up the heat with the Freedom's Flame Premium Warbond. The content pack includes fire-themed weaponry and gear, perfect for your next Hellmire outing. Here's everything in the Helldivers 2 - Freedom's Flame Warbond and their cost.

To access the Warbond, you'll need to open up the Acquisition Menu while aboard your Super Destroyer ship. Scroll until you see the Warbond. All Premium Warbonds in Helldivers 2 must be purchased by exchanging 1,000 Super Credits (SC). These credits can be found during missions? or unlocked via Warbonds but can b??e purchased with real cash. It costs $10 for 1,000 SC.

Like with Viper Commandos, Freedom's Flame mixes things up by including new vehicle skins instead of a third armor set. The mechs, Hellpod, and Pelican dropship can all be outfitted with a striking orange wrap. You'll definitely stand?? out compared to the Viper camo. But that'll attract the bugs and bring them closer to flame??thrower range, so it's not all bad.

Everything in the Helldivers 2 Freedom's Flame Premium Warbond - And their cost

The Freedom's Flame Warbond includes two armor suits, three guns, two Victory poses, three vehicle skins (Patterns), a Booster, and more. L?et's start with the weapons and explore the rest below.

Weapons

There is no new grenade in the Warbond.

Armor Sets

There are two armor sets available in Freedom's Flame. Each set includes armor, a cape, and a helmet. The armor sets come with a new Armor Passive: Inflammable (which means flammable �what a country!).

Armor Passive: Inflammable

• Provides 75% damage resistance to fire, allowing the bearer to rest assured in their inflammability.

Capes

• Purifying Eclipse (Page 1) - 8 Warbond Medals
• The Breach (Page 2) - 20 Warbond Medals

Helmets

• I-09 Heatseeker (Page 1) - 12 Warbond Medals
• I-102 Draconaught (Page 2) - 35 Warbond Medals

Victory Poses and Emote

• Big Stretch (Page 1) - 8 Warbond Medals
• Deep Reflection (Page 2) - 15 Warbond Medals
• Thoracic Collision Exultation Maneuver (Page 3) - 35 Warbond Medals

T?he last one in the list above is the chest bump, so don't worry about checking a Thesaurus. You're welcome.

Super Credits

• 100 SC (Page 1) - 7 Warbond Medals
• 100 SC (Page 2) - 12 Warbond Medals
• 100 SC (Page 3) - 32 Warbond Medals

Booster

• Firebomb Hellpods (Page 3) - 60 Warbond Medals

  • Lines all Hellpods with volatile incendiaries that detonate upon impact, igniting any units in the vicinity of the drop site.

Player Cards

• Purifying Eclipse (Page 1) - 2 Warbond Medals
• The Breach (Page 2) - 5 Warbond Medals

Title

• Fire Safety Officer (Page 3) - 20 Warbond Medals

Vehicle Patterns (Skins)

• Safety Orange Hellpod Pattern (Page 1) - 10 Warbond Medals
• Safety Orange Shuttle Pattern (Page 2) - 25 Warbond Medals
• Safety Orange Exosuit Pattern (Page 3) - 40 Warbond Medals

That about wraps up the Freedom's Flame Warbond. Hopef??ully, the Armor Passive goes a long way to securing Democracy ??on planets like Hellmire. And when not touring the blazing planet, setting another one on fire is certainly easier now that you can equip three flamethrowers. Time for a Terminid barbecue.

The post Helldivers 2: Everything in the Freedom’s Flame Warbond and their cost appeared first on Destructoid.

Helldivers 2 is in for it again, it seems. The game's new Escalation of Freedom update ha?s only just come out, and the players have already figured out that it's loaded with a few no??n-insignificant nerfs to flame-based weapons, such as the incendiary Breaker shotgun and the flamethrower, among others.

More specifically, the community feels that the Escalation of Freedom update has essentially reneged the developer Arrowhead Games' prior promise to more ?mindfully balance weapons. The flamethrower, for one, can no longer effectively take down armored enemies (like the infamously annoying Charger), and the incendiary Breaker has lost two full magazines' worth of spare ammo in an attempt? to make it a less popular choice on Terminid missions.

The Helldivers 2 community is not happy with the current direction of the game

The fact that the Helldivers 2 community feels unheard yet again is particularly problematic for two reasons. Firstly, this isn't Arrowhead Games' first problematic balancing rodeo, and the company specifically promised to be more meas?ur??ed in how it approaches balancing in the future. Secondly, the Freedom's Flame Warbond is due to launch very, very soon, and two of its weapons - primary and secondary flamethro??wer arm??aments - have essentially been pre-nerfed just to be safe.

The biggest Helldivers 2 subreddit isn't in full meltdown mode over these changes just yet, but it's not too far from it either, as threads bemoaning the new batch of nerfs keep popping up left and right, overtaking any other discussion that might be happening in the wake of the new content update. To their credit, Arrowhead devs have been trying to explain why some of the most popular weapons have been nerfed as much as they have without ample buffs showing up elsewhere, but it may ring hollow in the wider con?text of the game's meta.

According to one of the developers working at Arrowhead, the specific reasoning for the incendiary Breaker shotgun's nerf was that it was extremely popular in Terminid missions. This rhymes with Arrowhead's reasoning for nerfing t??he Railgun from months ago, and suggests that the most popular outliers will always, inevitably, get brought down a couple of pegs to weaken???? them.

In the interim, Arrowhead also attempted to further exp?lain the reasoning behind the nerfs in a dedicated Steam blog post, as shown below. Whether that's a valid enough explanation or not is up to everyone to decide for themselves, but the really notable bit is that the quad-barreled Commando rocket launcher is clearly the next weapon on the nerf docket: "The ability of Commando's missiles to destroy Automaton fabricator buildings from any angle was unintended behavior," it says. "We do plan on fixing this but have decided to take some time to think this through and not make any rash decisions on how best to rebalance this weapon."

For what it's worth, I - being a die-hard solo Helldiver - feel like the game is in a reasonably good state at lower difficulties when playing alone. Then again, I'm obviously not interacting with the game's brand-spanking-new Super Helldive (T10) difficulty, and the horrific Impaler Terminids. Considering the uproar that's on show on the game's biggest subreddit right now, though, many players do not share my newfound interest in the game, and this is something Arrowhead Games is going to have to contend with as time goes on. Whether the former CEO's promises have been broken or not might even be irrelevant, as the community feels like they've been broken, and I d??on't need to explain why this is a ?bad look.

The post Helldivers 2: Escalation of Freedom angers players with new nerfs, and more are on th?e way appeared first on Destructoid.