Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead is lifting the lid on the sport’s hotly anticipated 01.001.007 replace with an early take a look at the patch notes.
The explosive shooter broke information when it launched earlier this 12 months, changing into the fastest-selling PlayStation Studios recreation of all time. However Arrowhead has suffered a torrid time of late because it struggles to fulfill Helldivers 2’s fanbase, with current months particularly leading to a ‘largely destructive’ current person assessment ranking on Steam. It is now as much as ‘combined,’ and Helldivers 2’s general Steam person assessment ranking stays ‘largely optimistic.’
Many of the negativity revolves round a sense that Arrowhead has been heavy handed in nerfing Helldivers 2’s varied weapons and stratagems because it balances the sport. The fixed nerfs have brought about some gamers to accuse Arrowhead of stripping all of the enjoyable out of Helldivers 2, a recreation that revolves round blowing alien bugs and robots to bits with over-the-top weapons and bombs.
This patch, which Arrowhead hopes will make important adjustments to the PC and PlayStation 5 co-op motion recreation and convey its disgruntled neighborhood again on-side, launches September 17. However earlier than then, we now know Arrowhead’s plan to rebalance Flamethrowers, one of many extra contentious weapons within the recreation.
Flamethrower harm is elevated by an enormous 33% with the discharge of the patch, Arrowhead confirmed, and flame weapon armor penetration is elevated. “Flamer mechanics can be reverted to the state earlier than the Escalation of Freedom replace and flame primarily based weapons can now harm heavier enemies like Chargers, Bile Titans, Impalers, and Hulks,” Arrowhead defined.
That final change is essential: with an armor penetration improve, flame weapons will now be a viable choice towards a few of Helldivers 2’s hardest enemies, such because the aforementioned Hulks.
This Flamethrower change is only one of what’s anticipated to be a sequence of buffs to Helldivers 2’s varied weapons and stratagems. Arrowhead has mentioned it can reveal extra concerning the patch every day operating as much as its launch, so it received’t be lengthy earlier than followers discover out what different buffs are coming their method. For now, right here’s what Arrowhead has mentioned about it:
Right here’s what to anticipate from Helldivers 2’s upcoming replace, per Arrowhead:
- We’re transforming Armor Penetration, Anti-Tank weapons and enemy armor and well being values. As a key a part of the rework we’ve got achieved an preliminary balancing move on over 30 weapons and stratagems.
- We’re overhauling a variety of totally different enemies to make them really feel extra rewarding to kill if you use the correct instruments to deal with them however guarantee they nonetheless really feel formidable. Enemy bots, together with Hulks, may have decrease armor, and the variety of rockets fired by enemies just like the Devastator and Gunship can be restricted, making fight extra balanced. The armor values of notably robust bug enemies just like the Charger, Impaler, and Bile Titan may also be decreased.
- Weapons such because the Autocannon, Heavy Machine Gun, and Anti-Materials Rifle can be simpler, offering larger loadout versatility. We’re additionally working in the direction of further enhancements for the flamethrower weapons.
- We’re taking this chance to think about new participant fantasies and design objectives for these weapons and stratagems primarily based on the suggestions we’ve acquired and the tendencies we’re observing throughout gameplay.
Wesley is the UK Information Editor for IGN. Discover him on Twitter at @wyp100. You may attain Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].