Helldivers 2’s new patch has significantly changed the meta

Arrowhead Games launched a new patch in Helldivers 2 that provided not only some bug fixes and user experience changes but also some balance changes that’s been a hot topic for the entire Helldivers 2 community lately. For starters, this patch is the first to release some nerfs on certain weapons and Stratagems, as well as some buffs to underpowered weapons. The patch has also introduced a new type of threat to players that will indirectly shape the landscape around them and hurt squads. We have also seen some fixes to a highly anticipated mechanic not seen since day one of Helldivers 2’s launch, as well as more game-breaking and minor bugs.

This article will discuss the game’s current sandbox changes and what has emerged from the patch.

Weapon and Stratagem Changes

First on the list is the famous automatic shotgun primary, the Breaker. Surprisingly, the weapon’s damage output remains unchanged, instead seeing a magazine size decrease from 16 to 13 rounds and an increase in the weapon recoil value from 30 to 55, leaning into the weapon’s idea of big damage interspersed by long periods of constant reloading.

The infamous Railgun Stratagem has received a major nerf to its armor penetration against heavy and medium armored targets, which isn’t so surprising considering the usage of this weapon in harder difficulties for its ease of use and high damage. However, the weapon still retains its original functionality by toggling Unsafe Mode, which adds way more risk to the weapon while giving the same reward for managing the overcharge.

The Shield Generator Backpack is also part of the initial meta for its safety and ability to bypass certain core mechanics like knockback and slows. The backpack has received a nerf with its recharge, extending the time it takes for the shield to return after being broken.

Arrowhead Games has provided big buffs to previously underpowered weapons to compensate for the nerfs. The Punisher shotgun, Flamethrower, Breaker Spray ‘n Pray, and Laser Cannon have received major buffs for their overall performance.

The Punisher shotgun has received 20 more ammo reserves, 5 extra damage per pellet, and more staggering power. This buff is also applied to the Slugger variant. The Flamethrower has gotten 50% more damage over time, and the Laser Cannon has increased its armor penetration values for medium and heavy armor. 

Armor Value Fixes

When the game was first released, the armor system was bugged as medium to heavy armor had no effect on the damage mitigation to the wearer. Light armor was considered the only viable choice since the loss of mobility and stamina regeneration for the extra non-functioning armor value was a net loss for the player. Now, damage mitigation is finally in working order again, and players have begun testing out the armor values.

From what the community has discovered, players have realized that while heavy armor still makes Terminid missions more difficult, it has a greater use case against Automatons as ranged combat happens more often with them. Helmets have no effect on headshot damage mitigation, and it seems like the change to armor values after changing a helmet was a visual bug.

Eradication Mission Changes

Previously, the kill quota of the Eradication mission was capped at 250 kills on the hardest difficulty. Arrowhead Games realized that this mission was too easy and could be completed in under 3 minutes, so they have doubled all kill quotas and made spawns more frequent for this mission, to extend the time spent in this mission to a reasonable enough length.

New Environmental Hazards

Part of this patch is the new environmental hazards intrinsic to certain planets. These obstacles provide a new dimension of challenge to the game as they are randomized and will always work to the detriment of the squad. On desert planets, fire tornadoes will spawn occasionally, traveling in random directions and burning everything in their path. Meteor showers may occur in randomized areas of the maps. This event is signaled by blue lights shining on the ground. Ion storms may also occur, which jams all Stratagems and the radar, making particularly intense firefights even harder without having access orbitals and airstrikes.

The New Meta

With this new change, Arrowhead has shifted the “meta” of the game and spurred a new wave of testing and research. Players have started to flock to other weapons besides those mentioned previously. For one, the Autocannon support weapon is seeing more love in the community for its versatile nature, being able to destroy most objectives and most threats through proper positioning and precision. The Flamethrower is now considered a viable anti-Charger weapon since the flames can ignore heavy armor. More people have also begun to use the Arc Thrower weapon as an alternative since it can deal with heavily armored Terminids well while providing a good horde-clearing function with its chain lightning effect.

The Recoilless Rfle, SPEAR, and Expendable Anti-Tank Launchers have returned to the ecosystem with the dethroning of the Railgun since those were always meant to be the ideal anti-armor weapons for all situations.

The 120mm and 380mm Orbital Barrages are slightly more consistent now, thanks to the increased duration and spread of the barrage, making it less prone to friendly fire than its previous iteration. They have been used more recently to clear out Bug and Bot outposts, destroying holes and Fabricators while maintaining relative safety.

Known Issues

Arrowhead Games is aware of the new bugs introduced with this new patch and is working on them to ensure the stability of the player experience. Some of these are game-breaking issues like random disconnecting, crashes in high-intensity combat, and unjoinable private game lobbies. There has also been a major bug with Defense missions having evacs that do not work. There are also minor issues, like the default armor showing on the shop, UI issues, and mission HUDs displaying different parameters for the host and the clients.