Helldivers 2's new fire weapon nerfs are down to one shotgun being used in "30% of all Terminid sessions," says Arrowhead's CEO: "Is that a problem? Yes"

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Arrowhead is still actively discussing the nerfs

Helldivers 2 Freedom's Flame Warbond
(Image credit: Sony)

Helldivers 2's Escalation of Freedom update nerfed some incendiary weapons, and the studio CEO has said it's because one weapon in particular was used during "30% of all Terminid sessions."

The Helldivers 2 Freedom's Flame Warbond is out later this week, which is all well and good for fire-loving players out there, as it'll offer weapons like two brand new flamethrowers. Unfortunately, Helldivers 2's huge new update yesterday seemingly nerfed fire-based weapons, downgrading their damage capabilities, which left players pretty upset after looking forward to getting their hands on new fiery weapons.

Shortly after the patch was implemented, Arrowhead CEO Shams Jorjani addressed player feedback in the shooter's official Discord. "The Incendiary Breaker was like 30% of all Terminid sessions at one point. Very much a meta gun," Jorjani writes in the post seen below, referencing the fire-based shotgun in particular. "Is that a problem? Yes. Is it a big one? I don't know. We'll discuss."

Shams Jorjani's reasoning behind the breaker incendiary nerf along with other messages about the update. from r/Helldivers

Jorjani's reasoning for the new nerfs, then, seems to be that simply too many players were using the Incendiary Breaker shotgun in particular to decimate Terminid hordes. However, it definitely seems like Arrowhead is actively discussing the matter, and could even continue to change weapons as required, which was something Jorjani hinted at in separate comments yesterday.

This does, admittedly, smack of comments made by Helldivers 2 game director Johan Pilestedt earlier this year in May, when the senior developer confessed that updates sometimes take the fun out of new things the community discovers. "Yeah I think we've gone too far in some areas," Pilestedt said at the time, adding that balance changes had come "over the priority of fun."

Check out our updated Helldivers 2 best weapons for a dive into all the new guns currently in the game.

Hirun Cryer
Hirun Cryer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.