Upon its February release, Helldivers 2 was met with a surprisingly positive reception. While its predecessor had garnered a dedicated following, it was far from a major hit for PlayStation, and the sequel's fast ascent to stardom came as a bit of a shock to the gaming public and developer Arrowhead alike. But Helldivers 2's post-launch has been a bit of a rollercoaster.
Though its first few months were filled with positivity and success, Helldivers 2 eventually dropped the ball on balancing, introducing a range of buffs and nerfs that severely impacted many players' enjoyment of the game. But despite those ongoing issues, Arrowhead has continued to add new content to Helldivers 2, including new weapons, Stratagems, armors, boosters, and enemy types, the best of which have shaken up the game's meta. One recent Helldivers 2 ammo type seems to be one such addition, and it's brimming with future possibilities.
Helldivers 2's Flak Ammo Should Be Just the Beginning
Helldivers 2's Flak Ammo Type Explained
The AC-8 Autocannon has been one of Helldivers 2's most powerful support weapons since launch day, and it's just gotten even better. Usually, the AC-8 Autocannon fires APHET rounds, which are high-damaging, armor-piercing shots that explode upon impact with an enemy. But as of Helldivers 2's mid-October update, players can now equip their Autocannon with Flak rounds.
These Flak rounds have a proximity sensor on them that ensures they explode just before they hit an enemy. This explosion results in a large cloud of black smoke, followed by a wide-reaching burst of shrapnel. While Flak rounds do less direct damage to enemies, they're incredibly effective at clearing out large groups of weaker enemies, being able to damage more enemies at once.
In the last few weeks, players have found that the Autocannon's new Flak rounds are particularly effective at dealing with airborne threats, such as Shriekers. Flak rounds can also be used to quickly clear out any enemies hanging from the underside of an Automaton dropship.
Helldivers 2 Is Sitting on a Mountain of Possibilities with Flak
At the time of writing, Helldivers 2's Flak ammo type is only available for the AC-8 Autocannon support weapon, but there are so many other potential uses for it in the game. Helldivers 2 is now home to a sizable arsenal of explosive weapons, such as the R-36 Eruptor and CB-9 Crossbow. It would be great if a future update for Helldivers 2 added the ability for players to equip these explosive weapons with Flak rounds, allowing them to be more effective at taking out larger hordes of enemies.
The Flak ammo type could also lead to the creation of some new equipment and Stratagems. A Flak grenade would be a great addition to Helldivers 2, as would a Flak version of the Autocannon sentry turret. Helldivers 2 could even add some kind of Flak-based Eagle Stratagem that drops a bomb on enemies from above, but rather than explode on impact, it explodes just above the horde, raining shrapnel down upon them. It often feels like a bit of a waste to use a Stratagem on hordes of weaker enemy types, but a Flak Stratagem with a lower cooldown could combat that.
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.
- Engine
- bitsquid
- 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
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
