Helldivers 2 players scramble to figure out what's changed after dev admits "some things were stealth buffed and not put in the patch notes"

Helldivers 2
(Image credit: Arrowhead Game Studio)

Helldivers 2 players are trying to figure out which aspects of the game have been buffed after developer Arrowhead Game Studios revealed that buffs were omitted from the patch notes.

Earlier this week, Helldivers 2 saw its first big balance patch go live, including buffing the democracy-spreading flamethrowers and even brand new "planetary hazards" like meteor showers and tornadoes. However, it seems the patch notes for the update left out some changes, as a developer admitted in the game's Discord that "some things were stealth buffed and not put in the patch notes."

Ehi Arrowhead, can we have a full patch note? (without stealth change) from r/Helldivers

This has led to Helldivers 2 players scrambling to figure out what these mysterious buffs are. The comments under the Reddit post above are full of guesses, with one of the top comments alleging that the fearsome Brood Commanders have quietly been buffed because they are "much more angrier than before."

Another player reckons that the Jet Pack Stratagem might have also seen a buff since, according to their estimations, it goes both higher and farther than before the patch. Someone else even claims that ammo pickups in Helldivers 2 now grant one more rocket than they previously did, which is huge news for Super Earth's defenders if it's actually true.

The Slugger primary weapon apparently now has 60 ammo to spend instead of just 40, and both it and the Punisher weapon now apparently get all their ammo restored on a Resupply Stratagem. Another player thinks this might have actually been a bug fix though, rather than an actual improvement quietly left out by the patch notes.

Some players are frustrated at Arrowhead's developers not sharing the full patch notes. Keep in mind, though, that Helldivers 2's director previously said that every gun has over 40 hidden statistics, so if the developer isn't choosing to share details with its player base, that's for a very good reason. 

Keep up to date with our Helldivers 2 roadmap guide for a full look at the future of Arrowhead's shooter. 

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.