Summary
- Helldivers 2's recent weapon nerfs upset fans, leading to review bombing and reigniting debates.
- Two popular weapons, SG-225IE Breaker Incendiary and FLAM-40 Flamethrower, were significantly nerfed.
- Developers responded to player feedback, but ongoing controversy and player backlash persist.
Nerfing weapons in Helldivers 2 has always been a touchy subject among fans of the game, ever since the very first batch of weapon nerfs was introduced to the game. However, the most recent weapon nerfs in Helldivers 2 have stirred quite the controversy, leading fans to review-bomb the game.
While this isn’t the first Helldivers 2 review-bombing controversy, it has reignited a long-running debate among fans of the game that continues to give the game a troubled reputation. As this ongoing situation divides the community, Helldivers 2 fans would be wise to be aware of this important moment in the game’s history.
Why Players Are Review-Bombing Helldivers 2’s Escalation of Freedom Update
On August 6, 2024, Helldivers 2 released a major update that introduced several enemies, mission objectives, a new difficulty, and several long-awaited bug fixes, known as the Escalation of Freedom update. However, despite all the good it did, this update also upset fans of the game by introducing nerfs to some of Helldivers 2’s most popular weapons. This isn’t the first time that Helldivers 2 has faced controversy for nerfing popular weapons in the game, except this time, the situation is more complex and volatile than ever before.
Prior to the Escalation of Freedom update, tensions within the game’s community were already high. This is partly due to the PlayStation account linking fiasco still lingering unresolved. Then, not directly correlated to this, Helldivers 2 recently reached record-low player numbers. Not to mention, the particular weapon nerfs that have most contributed to the community’s backlash are both Fire damage weapons, and Helldivers 2’s new Freedom’s Flame premium Warbond just dropped some new Fire-themed armor and weaponry. Consequently, this new update to the game was an unfortunate victim of poor timing on multiple counts.
Helldivers 2’s recent weapon nerfs meant well, but they couldn’t have come at a worse time.
Helldivers 2’s Escalation Of Freedom Update Nerfed Two Popular Meta Weapons
The Escalation of Freedom update included many weapon nerfs, but the two specific weapon nerfs that have seemingly rattled the Helldivers 2 community the most are changes to the 
SG-225IE Breaker Incendiary primary shotgun and the 
FLAM-40 Flamethrower support weapon. The changes to these weapons from the Escalation of Freedom 1.001.002 Patch are as follows:
SG-225IE Breaker Incendiary:
- Decreased number of magazines from 6 to 4
- Increased recoil from 28 to 41
FLAM-40 Flamethrower:
- Adjusted flame effects to work more realistically.
- It doesn't go through various bodies/objects where bounce off would be the expected behavior, like on armors and static objects.
This controversy has reignited a long-running debate among the game’s fans about the necessity of nerfs in a strictly PvE game. Some players enjoy the challenging dynamics of Helldivers 2’s difficulty changes brought about by weapon nerfs, while other players are upset that some of their favorite weapons are suffering from spontaneous nerfs.
Helldivers 2’s Developers Are Aware of Players Concerns About the Recent Weapon Nerfs
The latest nerfs have caused a big enough controversy on the game’s dedicated Subreddits and Discord servers, and this commotion immediately caught the attention of the development studio behind the game. In the short time since the update was released, Arrowhead Games Studio released a development blog post explaining the intentions behind the recent weapon nerfs, seemingly as a response to the criticism. Also, the CEO of Arrowhead Game Studios has responded to the criticism, mentioning that the responses have been overwhelming and that the studio is taking the community’s feedback into consideration.
Once again, Helldivers 2 is being review-bombed on Steam due to backlash caused by a recent game update. Considering that this controversy is a bit more complex than any one small change lighting such a big fuse, it may be a while before this ongoing situation and its underlying symptoms ever get resolved.
Helldivers 2
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 83 /100 Critics Rec: 91%
- Released
- February 8, 2024
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Arrowhead Game Studios, Nixxes
- Publisher(s)
- Sony Interactive Entertainment, PlayStation Publishing
WHERE TO PLAY
The Galaxy’s Last Line of Offence. Enlist in the Helldivers and join the fight for freedom across a hostile galaxy in a fast, frantic, and ferocious third-person shooter.
URGENT BROADCAST – SUPER EARTH ARMED FORCES
Freedom. Peace. Democracy. Your Super Earth-born rights. The key pillars of our civilization. Of our very existence. But the war rages on. And everything is once again under threat.
Join the greatest military force the galaxy has ever seen and make this a safe and free place to live.
BECOME A LEGEND
You will be assembled into squads of up to four Helldivers and assigned strategic missions. Watch each other’s back – friendly fire is an unfortunate certainty of war, but victory without teamwork is impossible.
LOADOUTS
Rain down freedom from above, sneak through enemy territory, or grit your teeth and charge head-first into the jaws of combat. How you deliver liberty is your choice; you’ll have access to a wide array of explosive firepower, life-saving armor and battle-changing stratagems… the jewel in every Helldiver’s arsenal.
REQUISITION
Super Earth recognises your hard work with valuable Requisition. Use it to access different rewards that benefit you, your squad, your destroyer ship and our overall war effort.
THREATS
Everything on every planet wants you dead. That’s what we’re dealing with. Each enemy has distinct and unpredictable characteristics, tactics, and behavior – but they all fight ferociously and without fear or morality.
THE GALACTIC WAR
Capturing enemy planets, defending against invasions, and completing missions will contribute to our overall effort. This war will be won or lost depending on the actions of everyone involved.
We stand together, or we fall apart.
- Engine
- bitsquid
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
- All platforms
- Franchise
- Helldivers
- Number of Players
- 1-4 players (online)
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter, Extraction Shooter, Action, Science Fiction
