Summary
Helldivers 2just launched one of itsbiggest updatessince its launch. The Escalation of Freedom patch bringsa new difficulty level, new mission objectives, new bugs and bots, a new swamp world, and new environmental hazards. Unfortunately, it also brings with it a bunch of weapon nerfs.
While tweaks like this are part and parcel of online games like Helldivers, one weapon, in particular, has been nerfed, leaving players “confused.”
“Nerfing The Flamethrower Is Completely Asinine”
As soon as the update dropped, dozens of freedom fighters took to theHelldivers Subedditto share their disgust at the fact that “right before the fire-themed warbond” the flamethrower received a major downgrade. This is just a few months afterthe weapon received a buff.
This new nerf means that the weapon can no longer “kill chargers” as it “doesn’t go through their leg armor,” meaning it “feels like crap to use”. This has left players to declare that the change “makes no sense.”
One playerexplained the change, saying it “effectively means that it will only kill chaff enemies. It becomes a Stalwart with much, much worse range, worse ammo economy, and the ability to friendly fire yourself,” and that it means “you’d never bring the flamethrower anymore.”
“Tell me it isn’t true,” one player exclaimed, saying that “the only reason I was excited about thiswarbondwas for the flame resist armor, so I could run flamethrower and feel good about it,” a sentiment shared by other Helldivers 2 players.
It’s not the first time a major weapon has received a nerf during a patch, leading players to describe updates as a “game of ‘bug or nerf’”, a game thatanother player described as “tiresome.“The official patch notes state that Arrowhead has “adjusted flame effects to work more realistically,” leading to a theory that “at least one dev is a Terminid.”
Alongside the flamethrower, players werequick to slate Helldiver 2’s new anti-tank mines, saying they “Do barely any damage, can be set off by smaller enemies, you, and your corpse, and set off massive chain explosions wasting the whole field.”
Across the internet, the distaste for these changes is palpable, and it will be interesting to see ifArrowhead responds to fan demandby reverting things back to normal.
WHERE TO PLAY
Do you believe in freedom? Can you stand in the face of oppression – and defend the defenceless? Wage war for peace. Die for democracy.
Join forces with up to three friends and wreak havoc on an alien scourge threatening the safety of your home planet, Super Earth, in this multiplayer co-op shooter for PS5 and PC from Arrowhead Game Studios.
Step into the boots of the Helldivers, an elite class of soldiers whose mission is to spread peace, liberty and Managed Democracy using the biggest, baddest and most explosive tools in the galaxy.
Helldivers don’t go planet side without proper backup, but it’s up to you to decide how and when to call it in. Not only do you have a host of superpowered primary weapons and customizable loadouts, you also have the ability to call on stratagems during play.
Helldivers 2 features Arrowhead’s best cooperative gameplay yet. Collaboration will be vital: Teams will synergize on loadouts, strategize their approach for each mission and complete objectives together.1
Enlist in Super Earth’s premier military peacekeeping force today. We are heroes… we are legends… WE ARE HELLDIVERS.
