Helldivers 2 update makes the shooter a "little bit harder, but hopefully in a fun way" as Automatons get smarter and weapons get buffed to help deal with them

Heads up, Helldivers – a new Helldivers 2 update is here, and while those devious Automatons have received an update to their "situational awareness protocol" to make them even more dangerous in a group, plenty of weapons have received buffs so you can deliver managed democracy more efficiently than ever.

Patch 01.002.200 has brought with it a plethora of balance adjustments, with 13 weapons and six stratagems receiving tweaks. Of those weapons, nine of them have been given straight up damage buffs – the AR-61 Tenderizer has gone from 95 to 105 damage, for example, and the SG-8S Slugger has increased from 250 damage to 280. Meanwhile, the armor penetration of the R-36 Eruptor's projectiles has been boosted from "medium" to "heavy," and the "lifetime" of its projectiles is now 0.3 seconds longer (lasting for a full second in total).

As for the stratagems, three of them now have three uses instead of two, so you'll get more bang for your buck out of the EXO-45 Patriot Exosuit, the EXO-49 Emancipator Exosuit, and Eagle 110MM Rocket Pods. The TX-41 Sterilizer should now feel easier to handle with a significant buff to its ergonomics (increased from five to 20), while the M-105 Stalwart's damage has been increased by 10 for a total of 80. Finally, the MG-206 Heavy Machine Gun has been given "improved armor penetration across a wider range of angles before transitioning to glancing shots."

Again, it's a relief that High Command has been so gracious to supply us with these improved weapons, because bots are now smarter than ever, at least when they're in a group. "A recent software autopsy has revealed an update to the Automatons' situational awareness protocol," the patch notes reveal. "They are now less distracted by each other, increasing their reaction speed in large groups."

In a video discussing the patch notes, design director Niklas Malmborg admits that up to this point, the bots "weren't as responsive as they should be because we optimized the AI a bit too much, and we thought that it made the game a bit too easy." From now on, he reiterates, the bots will be "smarter" and "make decisions faster." He adds: "Hopefully that makes it more fun. The bot front is one of the classic, 'I wish this would suck more,' so they'll love it. They'll suck more."

Adding even more challenge, Automaton dropships have been given 1,000 more health (with the main body now having 3,500), while Illuminate dropships "have been observed deploying their shields mid-flight." With all of these changes in tow, Malmborg says that the shooter "will be a little bit harder, but hopefully in a fun way."

It's worth noting that the patch notes say that with the increased number of AI calculations the game is performing, there'll be "a slight trade-off in-game performance," but hopefully, it won't be too noticeable. You can check out the full list of changes in the patch notes, which also reveal that the Stratagem loadout menu has been overhauled with newly "updated categorization." Plus, Arrowhead has also revealed the new Helldivers 2 Borderline Justice Warbond, which is full of new space western-themed additions coming to the game on March 20.

Arrowhead reveals the Helldivers 2 ideas left on its cutting room floor, from 5-player squads to low-gravity planets and a whole new armor system.