Summary
- Helldivers 2 constantly evolves with new gear and balancing updates that shape the meta and keep gameplay fresh and exciting.
- Experimenting with different weapons, armor sets, and Stratagems is crucial, as balancing updates may impact even established meta gear in the game.
- Rather than getting attached to a particular build or obsessing over the meta, Helldivers 2 players would be wise to constantly try new things to stay ahead of balance updates.
Months after the game’s initial release, Helldivers 2 has been going strong with several post-launch updates. These recent updates for Helldivers 2 have brought plenty of new content to the game, such as four new premium War Bonds, and several balancing and QOL updates that have drastically changed the game along the way.
Now, there’s a wide variety of gear that players can choose from in Helldivers 2, with more to come in future updates. Among the different loadouts that players can put together, a few weapons, armor sets, and Stratagems stand out as the meta in Helldivers 2, as they generally outperform other gear in most scenarios. While using these meta loadouts will give players the upper hand against the enemies of Super Earth, players should be cautious not to become too dependent on this gear.
Helldivers 2’s Meta is Constantly Changing
Helldivers 2’s live-service approach has taken the route of equally prioritizing new content updates, balancing changes, and QOL improvements. Because of this, the game has come a long way in the short few months since its release, which has consequently reshaped the meta several times. This is mostly due to new weapons, armor sets, and stratagems being added to the game that quickly emerge as the new best-in-class, although balancing changes to preexisting gear also significantly influences the game’s current meta.
So far, these balancing changes for Helldivers 2 have proven to be quite controversial among the game’s community, with some players expressing their frustration over their favorite weapons getting nerfed. Despite how divisive these balancing updates can be, the development studio behind Helldivers 2 has shown no sign of these rebalancing updates coming to an end.
Helldivers 2’s weapon balancing updates have a habit of adjusting both new and old weapons, so just because a weapon was added a long time ago doesn’t mean it will go unaffected by balancing updates.
Consequently, players should arguably expect any gear that either underperforms or overperforms to get rebalanced in a future update for Helldivers 2, based on the game’s recent history of frequent balancing updates. This is ultimately good news for weapons that deserve a buff, but on the other hand, it’s bad news for any of the meta weapons, hence why Helldivers 2’s balancing updates are so controversial.
Truly ‘Bad’ Loadouts in Helldivers 2 are Scarce
In hindsight, players should consider diversifying their loadouts and becoming familiar with a broad variety of weapons, armor sets, and stratagems, to be better prepared and avoid frustration over upcoming balancing updates. Not to mention, trying out different gear can lead to players discovering surprisingly strong loadouts among some of the gear that often gets overlooked because it was previously underwhelming.
While the pressure to stick to the meta loadouts in Helldivers 2 is inevitable, especially on higher-difficulty missions, players shouldn’t let the game’s ever-changing meta prevent them from finding what gear works best for them. Ultimately, every weapon, armor set, and Stratagem can be useful in its own way depending on the mission type and difficulty, so there are arguably no bad loadouts in the game, some are just better suited for certain scenarios than others.
As new gear gets added to the game and existing gear gets rebalanced, staying up-to-date with the meta in Helldivers 2 is a never-ending task. Consequently, players shouldn’t get too attached to a one-size-fits-all loadout, as it will likely get nerfed. Instead, players should consider experimenting with new gear often, as weapon balancing changes are only a matter of time, and some gear can only be judged by testing it out firsthand in a mission.
Helldivers 2
- Released
- February 8, 2024
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.
- 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
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op
- 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
- Metascore
- 83
- Platforms That Support Crossplay
- PC & PS5
