“As a level 50 player with the platinum trophy, I honestly hated playing this game after the update - the meta only existed because most other options needed a buff,” one player posted to theHelldivers 2subreddit, echoing a sentiment the community has been sharing since yesterday’s patch.
Another popular post on the subreddit now claims that the"patch made the game less fun", arguing that the nerfed weapons were not overpowered or broken, but that other weapons were underpowered.
Arrowhead just introduced new weather hazards like fire tornadoes and meteor showers to Helldivers 2, but it also rolled out some balancing tweaks for weapons and stratagems. The railgun and breaker have, controversially, been nerfed, whilethe flamethrower received a long-overdue buff. However, a lot of players, especially those who frequent the higher difficulties, believe thatallweapons need a buff, and that none should be nerfed whatsoever.
In response to the controversy, developer Fredrik E. commented, “I’m feeding the rage a little for my own entertainment here, just so you know. We haven’t nerfed anything into the ground, I just think it’s a little too early to pretend like the game is figured out.
“We made two of the most brainless playstyles less viable, and brought the guns that are under/overperforming more into line with the rest. The game is only a couple of weeks old, so before we make sweeping changes we want everything roughly where we intended from the start.”
This comment, specifically the first line, sparked even more backlash among the community, garnering over 400 downvotes and several posts calling them out. They have since apologised, adding that they “went a little far with the trolling”, and have decided not to engage with the community anymore.
While I understand that it reflects on the studio as a whole, it is not our intention that this should be the behaviour from us. We want to ensure that you all have the best time possible in this game and in this community.
“As for the balance patch and the opinions surrounding it, we actively read as much as we possibly can and take what is said into consideration when we discuss things internally. Right now, the hot topic is your guys' feedback and response to the balance adjustments and the feeling of the game experience at large.”
Many are still expressing their outrage and frustration at the nerfs and the response from developers, but community manager Katherine Baskin explained ina blog post breaking down the reasons behind the balance tweaksthat the ‘don’t nerf, only buff’ approach is “not a great idea”.
While the team is conscious that the tweaks may dampen the fun, they wanted to bring the weapons more in line with their original vision. For instance, Baskin said that the railgun was “intended to be a high powered anti-tank sniper rifle, requiring both timing with the unsafe fire mode and accuracy with where you hit the enemy,” but it proved too safe and convenient and thus over-performed, hence the ‘nerfs’.
Baskin ends by saying that Arrowhead is “monitoring the situation closely” and will make more adjustments in future based on player feedback.
Helldivers 2
Helldivers 2 is the sequel to the third-person shooter from Arrowhead Game Studios. This time out, the Helldivers are deep in the Galactic War, and it’s up to you to bring Managed Democracy to the masses.
