Helldivers 2’s next update will begin to reverse some controversial weapons nerfs, but won’t be “the patch to rule all other patches”

Helldivers 2
(Image credit: Arrowhead Game Studios)

Fan favorite Helldivers 2 weapons have been contending with some brutal nerfs lately, making the bug-squashing, bot-destroying, democracy-spreading shooter slightly duller for some players. Developer Arrowhead Studios admitted things went a little too far in its quest for balance, and it now sounds like some changes are getting reversed in the next patch.

Community manager Twinbeard jumped into the game's Discord channel to give a brief (and still vague) overview of what’s incoming in the next patch: "There'll be some balancing, some new stuff, some improved stuff." Arrowhead recently made divisive changes to how often enemy patrols would spawn too, which is also receiving a "reversion in the next patch."

"More details than that and someone would have my head. Or beard," Twinbeard said since anything more teaser-y could "so easily lead to wild speculation," and there's enough of that going around already thanks to conspiracies about The Illuminate's return.

On the team's decision to take more time in between patches, the community manager explained that "it's mostly us wanting to cool things down a bit and take our time with things since they were moving too quickly, which had an effect on quality." Taking more time between the latest and upcoming patches will "likely remain the case going forward" so the team can work on balance patches for longer and avoid accidentally breaking fun bug-squishing tools. "This does not mean this will be the patch to rule all other patches," he added, though it does sound like the next patch will start to roll the nerfing carpet back quite soon. 

Helldivers 2 players have been begging for an in-game PSA after learning online that certain planets grant liberation boosts after a defeat.

Freelance contributor

Kaan freelances for various websites including Rock Paper Shotgun, Eurogamer, and this one, Gamesradar. He particularly enjoys writing about spooky indies, throwback RPGs, and anything that's vaguely silly. Also has an English Literature and Film Studies degree that he'll soon forget.