Helldivers 2 has a massive back catalog of weapons that it could bring back from its predecessor, but the devs at Arrowhead are "very cautious" about doing so.
Our fight to spread liberty and take out any democracy-hating bugs, bots, and squids along the way has already been bolstered by many, many new weapons in the time since Helldivers 2's launch last February. They're constantly being added in new Warbonds, such as the Control Group Warbond that's releasing later this week. Going forward, though, it sounds like we can expect the majority of these additions to be totally new ones.
One fan recently took to the official Helldivers Discord server to ask if we'll "ever see any HD1 weapons return to HD2 in future Warbonds," or if upcoming weapons are "all going to be new ones with similar concepts or reworked like the Commando?" To this, community manager Katherine "Baskinator" Baskin says, "it's always possible," but "I'd say we're very cautious about bringing back HD1 items for a couple of reasons, though."
The first point, she says, is that the devs "want the games to feel unique from one another in general, and for it to feel [like] something fresh." She adds: "[I don't know] about you, but I hate when games recycle things from sequel to sequel. Some things are fine, but other times it feels less creative."
Otherwise, Baskin adds that if Arrowhead is going to bring back a weapon or item that Helldivers 1 fans "loved," then "we want to make sure it's absolutely pitch-perfect so that we don't ruin the legacy of that beloved item." No one wants something that they look back on fondly to be brought back and then be a complete letdown, after all.
Overall, she concludes that "we do it when it feels right and when we know the item is going to be a hit." Clearly, it's not something that Arrowhead is comfortable with doing all the time, but if you have an old favorite from the first game that's still nowhere to be seen in Helldivers 2, don't give up hope just yet.
"I know what's coming for Helldivers for the next few years": Arrowhead has a long-term plan for Helldivers 2, but it's still "subject to change"
