Summary
- Helldivers 2 players are unhappy with recent weapon nerfs, leading to a surge in negative reviews on Steam.
- Arrowhead previously faced backlash for a PSN account linking requirement, but reversed it after community pressure.
- The Escalation of Freedom update brought new content to Helldivers 2, but the nerfs to weapons have players upset.
Helldivers 2 players are once again review-bombing the popular shooter on Steam following the release of its Escalation of Freedom update. The new patch was released on August 6 with a plethora of new content for players to jump into, but the Helldivers 2 community appears to have taken issue with many of the weapon nerfs that were included with the update.
Back in May, Sony announced that Helldivers 2 players on PC would be forced to link their Steam account to a PSN account if they wanted to continue playing. The unexpected change resulted in Helldivers 2 being review-bombed on Steam, followed by the publisher backtracking on the change and confirming that players would not be required to link their accounts to continue playing. The community was then kind enough to reverse review-bomb the game and return Helldivers 2 to its original review score. But it looks like players are once again demanding change as the game has received a sudden influx of negative reviews.
On August 6, the same day that Arrowhead released the Escalation of Freedom update for Helldivers 2, the shooter received over 670 negative reviews in a single day. While this isn't quite as bad as the 220,000 negative reviews that the game received on May 2 following the PSN account linking fiasco, it still indicates that a large number of players aren't happy about the changes made in the most recent update. Many of the negative reviews praise Helldivers 2 for being a good game overall but blast the developers for "nonsensical" and "unnecessary" nerfs.
Helldivers 2 Players Outraged by New Nerfs
While the Escalation of Freedom update added plenty of new content to the game, such as new mission objectives, bigger enemy outposts, new bugs and bots, and more, it also included a bunch of weapon nerfs that many players believe weren't needed. As detailed in the official Helldivers 2 patch notes for Escalation of Freedom, the following weapons and stratagems received substantial balancing changes:
- SG-8S Slugger
- SG-225IE Breaker Incendiary
- GP-31 Grenade Pistol
- CB-9 Exploding Crossbow
- AX/AR-23 Guard Dog
- Orbital Walking Barrage
- Orbital 120mm HE Barrage
Arrowhead attempted to justify the nerfs in a new blog post on Steam, explaining the studio's thought process behind the decision to nerf many of these weapons and stratagems. When it comes to the SG-8S Slugger, which is often regarded as one of the best primary weapons in Helldivers 2, Arrowhead says that the "increased spread and drag should compensate for the improved stopping power and enhance the fantasy of a powerful shotgun firing large caliber rounds, while limiting its viability beyond medium range."
As for the SG-225IE Breaker Incendiary, which has been another major talking point in the community following its nerf on August 6, Arrowhead explained that the weapon was "overshadowing the other weapons" when it came to battling Terminids on the frontline. The studio then explained the increase in recoil and reduction in the maximum number of magazines should make the Incendiary Breaker "more demanding for good ammo economy." But it looks like fans don't see it Arrowhead's way, as the negative reviews are continuing to roll in.
Helldivers 2
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 83 /100 Critics Rec: 91%
- Released
- February 8, 2024
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Arrowhead Game Studios, Nixxes
- Publisher(s)
- Sony Interactive Entertainment, PlayStation Publishing
WHERE TO PLAY
The Galaxy’s Last Line of Offence. Enlist in the Helldivers and join the fight for freedom across a hostile galaxy in a fast, frantic, and ferocious third-person shooter.
URGENT BROADCAST – SUPER EARTH ARMED FORCES
Freedom. Peace. Democracy. Your Super Earth-born rights. The key pillars of our civilization. Of our very existence. But the war rages on. And everything is once again under threat.
Join the greatest military force the galaxy has ever seen and make this a safe and free place to live.
BECOME A LEGEND
You will be assembled into squads of up to four Helldivers and assigned strategic missions. Watch each other’s back – friendly fire is an unfortunate certainty of war, but victory without teamwork is impossible.
LOADOUTS
Rain down freedom from above, sneak through enemy territory, or grit your teeth and charge head-first into the jaws of combat. How you deliver liberty is your choice; you’ll have access to a wide array of explosive firepower, life-saving armor and battle-changing stratagems… the jewel in every Helldiver’s arsenal.
REQUISITION
Super Earth recognises your hard work with valuable Requisition. Use it to access different rewards that benefit you, your squad, your destroyer ship and our overall war effort.
THREATS
Everything on every planet wants you dead. That’s what we’re dealing with. Each enemy has distinct and unpredictable characteristics, tactics, and behavior – but they all fight ferociously and without fear or morality.
THE GALACTIC WAR
Capturing enemy planets, defending against invasions, and completing missions will contribute to our overall effort. This war will be won or lost depending on the actions of everyone involved.
We stand together, or we fall apart.
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
- All platforms
- Franchise
- Helldivers
- Number of Players
- 1-4 players (online)
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter, Extraction Shooter, Action, Science Fiction
