Unlucky Player Proves Helldivers 2 Balance Update Still Needs Some Work

After some significant changes in Helldivers 2, one player shows off an unfortunate encounter that looks like it requires even more balancing.

Helldivers 2 soldier shooting at a Bile Titan.

Summary

Helldivers 2’s challenging gameplay can overwhelm players with multiple powerful enemies at once.
Recent weapon nerfs in the game aim to encourage players to rely more on powerful abilities called Stratagems.
Arrowhead Studios plans for a continuous stream of future patches to keep the game fresh and diverse, discouraging reliance on specific weapons.

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While Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead Studios has been hard at work tweaking certain elements of the game, one unfortunate player proves that some aspects may need to be balanced even more. Helldivers 2 can be a particularly punishing game, especially on the higher difficulties but given that squads are equipped with plenty of powerful weapons and Stratagems, any enemy can generally be thwarted. Even the terrifying Bile Titan, the monstrous king of the Terminids, can be toppled with a well-placed Orbital Precision Strike, but five at once might be too big of a task.

Per KuronekoBestGirl on Reddit, the player shared a screenshot of one particularly harrowing mission that saw them staring down five Bile Titans alongside seven Chargers, another class of Terminid known for its aggression, all fighting together during an Eradicate mission which requires Helldivers to simply kill a certain amount of enemies.

“How is this balanced in any way?” wrote the user in response to a recent update for Helldivers 2 that nerfed several weapons. KuronekoBestGirl noted that they and their squad ended up simply killing the smaller Terminids to complete their mission rather than challenge the bigger foes.

Helldivers 2 characters holding a sniper rifle and rocket launcher in front of a flaming background.

Helldivers 2’s Flashiest Weapon Is Finally Worth Using

One exciting weapon in Helldivers 2 has had limited utility in the past, but a significant balance update has changed it for the better.

Helldivers 2 Wants Players To Rely on Stratagems

Arrowhead Studios has noted that its intention behind the recent weapon nerfs in Helldivers 2 isn’t to deny players a fun experience but to rather encourage experimentation and the use of Stratagems, powerful abilities that can be called in to assist in the field. The developers have requested that players do their best to not compare nerfed weapons to previous versions and instead look for scenarios wherein they may better fit. In situations like the one experienced by KuronekoBestGirl, Stratagems may be the only way to kill that many gigantic Terminids, meaning no matter their preferred weapon they’ll be at the whim of a cooldown timer.

What Lies Ahead For Helldivers 2?

Helldivers 2 sniper in front of a ship modula upgrade. — Custom Image by Ben Brosofsky

Arrowhead Studios has stated that the recent balance update is the first of a “neverending” list of future patches for Helldivers 2 meaning players shouldn’t get too attached to a particular build. The developer has stated that it wants to eliminate any scenario where one or two key weapons are “instant” picks, creating what it describes as a “stale meta” that’s dominated by limited options. As more items eventually make it into the game, like the long-awaited mech suits, players will need to experiment to become more familiar with a range of firearms rather than sticking with just a few heavy hitters.

Source: KuronekoBestGirl/Reddit