As Helldivers 2 Players Digest Dramatic Nerfs, Dev Says ‘Rely on Your Stratagems’ to Deal With Tough Enemies

It’s been a dramatic 24 hours for Helldivers 2 players after the game’s first balance patch set the cat among the pigeons with its nerf to the best loadout.

Patch 01.000.100 nerfs the Breaker, Railgun, and Shield Generator Backpack, three items considered essential to higher difficulty play and Helldivers 2’s best loadouts. But it also buffs weaker weapons and stratagems, including the Flamethrower (more on that later), Laser Cannon, Punisher, and the 380mm and 120mm Orbital Barrages.

It’s the nerfs to the Breaker, Railgun, and Shield Generator Backpack that have sparked the most vociferous discussion within the Helldivers 2 community, given their popularity. On higher difficulties, Helldivers 2 throws an often overwhelming number of powerful enemies at you, many of which require hard-hitting weapons and stratagems to deal with. The Railgun in particular was a popular option for taking on Helldivers 2’s toughest enemies, such as the heavily armored Bile Titan and Charger.

Developer Arrowhead had already discussed the thinking behind these changes, admitting ‘having your favorite toy nerfed absolutely sucks’, but called on players to give the nerfed items a chance. Now it’s gone into more detail in a blog post by Patrik Lasota, the designer on the first Helldivers and currently Head of Product Testing at Arrowhead.

In discussing the nerf to the Breaker, a shotgun considered the best primary weapon in the game, Lasota commented on primary weapons in general, revealing that their lack of power and inability to deal with all the enemies is entirely intentional.

“This is very much intentional, you need to rely on your stratagems, and the stratagems of your team to deal with all the enemies effectively,” Lasota said. “Either by Eagle Airstrikes, Orbitals, Support Weapons, or Turrets, some of your loadout/team should be tailoring their loadout to killing the weaker stuff more efficiently.

You need to rely on your stratagems, and the stratagems of your team to deal with all the enemies effectively.

“This doesn’t mean that your primary weapon shouldn’t feel good to use, but please understand that it is primary only in the sense that it’s something you always spawn with.”

Of course, Railgun is indeed a stratagem, but Arrowhead nerfed this too. Much of the reaction to the update stems from what happened to the Railgun, which high-level players used to soldier through the hardest difficulties. The Railgun’s safe mode is now capable of penetrating medium armor, such as Automaton Scout Walkers, but not more heavily armored enemies like Chargers and Bile Titans. For those targets, players now must run the Railgun in unsafe mode and overcharge it. Meanwhile, Arrowhead reigned in the Railgun’s ability to damage massive body parts, which means in order to use it efficiently players must score hits on heads and other weak points.

Which brings us neatly to the Flamethrower, which was one of Helldivers 2’s least effective support weapons. With the Railgun in the dirt, players are seeking out alternatives, and it looks like the recently buffed Flamethrower may now be viable. Players are reporting that the Flamethrower now efficiently cooks Chargers, if used in a targeted fashion, and given how bloody annoying Chargers are, the Flamethrower is now enjoying its time in the sun.

Flamethrower can kill chargers quite fast now | #Helldivers2

🎥 BadassMinh pic.twitter.com/zK4DVaUIrC

— HELLDIVERS 2 Updates (@Helldivers2HQ) March 7, 2024

“The Flamethrower is really the embodiment of stepping into a queen’s lair and torching all her eggs, as done by a badass action heroine,” Lasota said. “It should be powerful up close and an inconvenience to enemies that are lit on fire or want to walk through the fire and flames. As many have commented the flamer has felt a little too anemic, not outputting damage at a rate that is warranted by a weapon with a shorter range and large volatility such as the Flamethrower.

“We have increased the Flamethrower direct damage to be able to barbeque enemies that get close much faster. Please enjoy your Terminid Barbecue Device responsibly, as this also makes it even more volatile for any Helldivers caught in the stream.”

The emergence of the Flamethrower, however, has done little to calm the debate around Helldivers 2’s nerfs, with some players complaining that higher difficulties are now nigh-on impossible given the sheer number of Bile Titans and Chargers they throw at you when you play on a Terminid planet. It’s worth pointing out that Helldivers 2 is only a month old, so Arrowhead will be keen to gather as much data as possible from these first weeks to inform its decision-making later.

I believe players are scared of nerfs, because it will ruin the fantasy of a weapon, ruin their fun.

Lasota also offered helpful insight into Arrowhead’s philosophy when it comes to balance changes, and it sounds like the developer is keen to nerf and buff, as opposed to only buff. “I have, since the game released, seen many who say ‘don’t nerf, only buff’ and other similar ideas,” Lasota said. “However as a designer I can tell you this is not a great idea, but I understand where the sentiment comes from. All too often in the games industry the core fantasy, and what makes a weapon feel good and fun, is ignored for the sake of balance.

“I believe players are scared of nerfs, because it will ruin the fantasy of a weapon, ruin their fun. It is extra important to us to tread carefully so that we don’t ruin fantasy and fun when we do nerfs. We hope you, our players, will tell us when we cross that line inadvertently.”