Helldivers 2 CEO agrees with player dissatisfaction with recent balancing updates for the game. Read on to learn more about what he said, what the patches entailed, and how are players reacting to it.
Helldivers 2 Nerfs A Lot Of Weapons
CEO Pilestedt's Opinions
Helldivers 2 CEO, Johan Pilestedt, has openly discussed the effects of recent patches on the game's overall enjoyment. In a Twitter(X) thread today, he expressed a sentiment echoing player frustration, suggesting that each time players discover something enjoyable within the game, subsequent patches seem to remove or diminish that aspect. This acknowledgment underscores the delicate balance between game updates aimed at improvement and preserving the elements that players find most engaging.
In another tweet, Pilestedt comments on what he perceives as an over-reliance on damage adjustments in game balancing, suggesting that factors such as recoil, reload speeds, accuracy, projectile speeds, and equip speeds should be considered alongside or instead of pure damage tweaking. The most recent comprehensive balancing update rolled out on April 29th, which predominantly focused on damage adjustments. However, it also included modifications to various other aspects of gameplay, such as magazine size, recoil, and recharge time. A list of nerfed weapons can be seen below:
CB-9 Exploding Crossbow
⚫︎ Slightly smaller explosion
⚫︎ Increased stagger
⚫︎ Decreased number of maximum mags from 12 to 8
⚫︎ Increased number of magazines received from resupply from 6 to 8
⚫︎ Slight reduction in ergonomics
⚫︎ Muzzle velocity increased
SG-8P Punisher Plasma
⚫︎ Decreased maximum mags from 12 to 8
⚫︎ Increased amount of magazines received from resupply from 6 to 8
⚫︎ Increased projectile speed, but will still keep a similar range
⚫︎ Decreased damage falloff on the explosion
⚫︎ Now placed in the energy weapons category
R-36 Eruptor
⚫︎ Decreased number of maximum mags from 12 to 6
⚫︎ Explosion damage drops off slightly faster
LAS-16 Sickle
⚫︎ Decreased amount of magazines from 6 down to 3
LAS-5 Scythe
⚫︎ Increased damage from 300 to 350
⚫︎ Decreased max number of mags from 6 down to 4
JAR-5 Dominator
⚫︎ Damage decreased from 300 to 275
AX/AR-23 Guard Dog
⚫︎ Decreased damage by 30%
RL-77 Airburst Rocket Launcher
⚫︎ Airburst Rocket Launcher will no longer detonate when shot near stratagems (HMG turret,
⚫︎ Sentries, Resupplies) and other Helldivers
⚫︎ Reduced proximity radius
Players' Reaction to The Development Team
- [1] Image taken from Reddit
In a detailed post on Discord, the development team responsible for bringing out game balance outlined the reasons for the adjustments. Initially, after addressing issues with ricochets, players began scrutinizing the Eruptor more closely, leading to misconceptions regarding projectile behavior. Upon thorough investigation, the team found no evidence of ricochet effects, but did discover instances where the weapon's shrapnel could inadvertently cause harm to players or teammates.
To mitigate this inconsistency and maintain a balance between risk and reward, the decision was made to remove the shrapnel component entirely. They defended this move, stating that a consistent 40 damage output is preferable to the sporadic 100 damage potential, which could lead to unintended consequences. This adjustment was aimed at preserving the weapon's area-of-effect (AoE) capabilities while ensuring a more predictable gameplay experience.
It's evident that the recent changes in Helldivers 2 have left a significant portion of the player base frustrated and disillusioned. Many players express fatigue and disappointment with the development team's approach to patching and balancing. They criticize what they perceive as a lack of proper quality assurance (QA) and a patch philosophy that seems to detract from the core fun of the game.
One player's sentiment echoes the frustrations of many, expressing exhaustion with continually giving the development team patience. They lament the perceived erosion of the game's enjoyable elements with each new patch, highlighting a growing sense of disillusionment within the community.
Another player voices a similar sentiment, expressing skepticism towards the "indie excuse" and calling for more thorough playtesting before releasing updates. They suggest that issues such as those with the Eruptor nerf could have been easily identified through basic gameplay testing.
For some players, the frustration reaches a breaking point, leading them to step away from the game entirely. Despite the initial excitement and enjoyment of Helldivers 2, ongoing issues with broken updates and poorly-implemented changes have soured their experience.
Despite the recent challenges facing Helldivers 2, including issues with mandatory PSN linking and player dissatisfaction with balancing changes, there remains a glimmer of hope on the horizon. A recent poll conducted by Pilestedt on Twitter indicates that many players are eagerly anticipating the release of the new paid warbond content.
This positivity amidst the frustration suggests that while players may be disheartened by recent setbacks, their enthusiasm for the game has not been extinguished. The upcoming release of the Warbond offers a chance for the development team to re-engage with the community and potentially regain lost trust.
Source:
Helldivers 2 April 29 Patch Update
Pilestedt Another Tweet
[1] Image taken from Reddit
