Helldivers 2 is finally worth playing again. Arrowhead's 60-day plan to revive the chaotic co-op game is over, and with it comes plenty of player-driven adjustments. I'd fallen off the HD2 bandwagon thanks to the constant nerfs that made the PvE game feel less fair, but Arrowhead has been reversing plenty of these missteps. That's why right here, right now is the perfect time to jump back into Helldivers 2. If you've been waiting for the excuse to get back to one of Steam's biggest 2024 success stories, this is it.
The big co-op game's final patch in the two-month timeline is here.
"We have made changes to the remaining weapons and stratagems we weren't able to finish for the patch on Wednesday September 17, ensuring they're now more interesting and effective," Arrowhead writes.
"We have also dedicated some time and we've looked over some key core systems like enemy spawning as well as targeting and vision for the Automatons. Based on your , we've fine-tuned the Automaton experience to hopefully make them feel less frustrating to play against. Additionally, we have also adjusted the Helldivers' durability to make your armor choices feel more impactful."
The Automaton's laser-focused weapon accuracy has always been a huge dampener on my experience, so I'm glad to see it's finally been changed. Instead of constant robotic barrages that pin you down on higher difficulties, Automatons should now need a "proper line of sight," so you can stealth around the robots more easily. Automaton projectile damage has also been reduced by five points across the board, so they shouldn't hit quite as hard either.
Plenty of stratagem weapons now also have a new function, like the Autocannon's new Flak ammo type that is proximity triggered and has a larger explosion radius. The Recoilless Rifle even has high explosive rounds now, too, but that's not the highlight here. Almost every weapon I've seen in the patch notes now either has more ammo, less recoil, higher damage, or a faster reload, making them better across the board.
Helldivers 2 might have friendly fire, but it's not a competitive game like other shooters. Being overpowered was never a bad thing (unless it broke the game), and while I understand we still need a challenge, taking the potential right from your hands was never the way to do it.
I could wax lyrical about every single detail of the patch notes, but that's not the point. Arrowhead's 60-day community commitment has revamped over 70 weapons and stratagems, retooled armor penetration, and changed how enemies behave. Before this, I was one of many who felt that Arrowhead was over-adjusting how Helldivers 2 worked, to the game's detriment. That should, hopefully, no longer be the case, with almost everything I've seen in these patch notes working in the player's favor.
If you're diving back into democracy manifest now that the 60-day patch project is complete, we've got all the Helldivers 2 weapons you need to check out.
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