Helldivers 2 is an ever-evolving game that likes to pull surprises seemingly out of thin air, giving players new enemies to fight and weapons to play with without much of a heads-up. One such surprise saw the release of two new support weapons roughly two months after the game's release, further expanding Super Earth's arsenal.
One of these weapons was the Heavy Machine Gun, a drum-fed support weapon that fires heavy rounds that tears through flesh and steel alike. While it may not come close to being the best support weapon in Helldivers 2, it can deliver democracy surprisingly well, especially once players figure out how to play around its strengths and weaknesses.
Is The Heavy Machine Gun Any Good?
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The HMG does its job well, but as of writing, it could definitely use some improvements. Its drawbacks are extremely noticeable, from its intense recoil, to its small magazine and lengthy reload times. The lack of a third-person reticle and the gun's excessively bright muzzle flash make the weapon hard to aim with in both first-person and over-the-shoulder perspectives, though there are ways to work around this issue.
On the bright side, the HMG packs a serious punch — it's basically a fully-automatic Slugger, one of the best primary weapons in Helldivers 2 that's renowned for its high damage and stunlocking capabilities. The machine gun can tear apart the bulletproof shields Automaton Scout Striders and Heavy Devastators, and it can kill Hulks by shooting their eye ports just like the Autocannon, Railgun, and Anti-Materiel Rifle. The HMG fails to kill Chargers with one magazine to the rearside, though it can kill both Spewer variants reasonably well,
It's hard to find a situation where the HMG truly shines. Its low ammo capacity makes it significantly worse at clearing crowds than the other machine guns, and while it can kill armored targets quickly, it pales in comparison to the Autocannon in that sphere. As of now, it's best used like the regular 
MG-43 Machine Gun, albeit with fewer bullets in a magazine and a penchant for chewing through light vehicles.
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How To Use The Heavy Machine Gun
The Heavy Machine Gun is best used against bots due to its long and stationary reload animation. Players won't have the time and space to reload such a hefty weapon against Terminids, so it's best to take this to the western galactic front.
The best targets for a dedicated heavy machine gunner are:
- Scout Striders
- Devastators
- Berserkers
- Hulks
Using the HMG against squads of ordinary Raiders is not advised due to the weapon's limited ammunition. Although, hosing Raiders down isn't a bad idea if any of the above priority targets are also within the line of fire. Additionally, we highly recommend using an armor set with a recoil reduction perk like the FS-38 Eradicator, one of the best light armor sets in Helldivers 2.
For best results with the HMG, here are some tips on how to use it effectively:
- Crouch down or lie prone before firing.
- When firing in full-auto, switch to third-person mode and let the bullet tracers guide your aim.
- The HMG punches through Strider shields. When facing one head-on, aim for the center of their shields to kill the pilot.
- Use the 450RPM firing mode for most encounters.
- Only switch to 1200RPM mode when enemies are very close.
Helldivers 2
- Released
- February 8, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Arrowhead Game Studios, Nixxes
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter, Extraction Shooter, Action, Science Fiction
- Metascore
- 83
