Helldivers 2 is in Trouble, and the Devs Plan to Address the Backlash

In response to mounting criticism from the Helldivers 2 community, Arrowhead Game Studios has revealed a comprehensive 60-day action plan to tackle long-standing issues and restore player satisfaction. The recent uproar stems from the latest major update, Escalation of Freedom, which has sparked widespread dissatisfaction due to significant gameplay changes.

On Tuesday, Mikael Eriksson, the game director at Arrowhead, openly acknowledged the shortcomings of the update in a statement on the game’s subreddit. "We didn’t hit our target," Eriksson admitted, referring to the Escalation of Freedom patch. The update drew sharp criticism, particularly for the nerfing of fire weapons like the Breaker Incendiary and the FLAM-40 flamethrower, which had previously been effective against charger terminids. These weapons were altered to no longer penetrate the enemies' hides, frustrating players—especially since a fire-based premium warbond was released shortly before the changes.

Many players believe that these issues are symptomatic of a broader problem with Arrowhead's development strategy, which they argue focuses too heavily on balancing weapons at the expense of fun, resulting in a less engaging experience.

“Some things we just didn’t get right,” Eriksson wrote. “And there are deeper inconsistencies in our approach to game balance and direction. We own that, and now it’s time for action, not words.”

To address these concerns, Eriksson outlined a detailed 60-day plan aimed at realigning the game with player expectations. This plan includes addressing fundamental issues such as the studio’s approach to weapon balancing and the design of primary weapons, as well as making specific adjustments to the changes introduced in Escalation of Freedom. Key areas of focus include revisiting fire damage, improving frame rate performance, and implementing fixes for charger enemies. The studio also plans to "re-prioritize bug fixes" to ensure that gameplay-impacting issues are resolved first.

The overarching goal, according to Eriksson, is to bring back the "fun" that players feel has been missing. “Balance should enhance the fun, not exist for its own sake,” Eriksson emphasized, adding that the team aims to make combat more engaging.

Looking ahead, Arrowhead has plans for the long-term improvement of Helldivers 2. These include establishing an opt-in beta testing program, improving communication with the player base through regular blog posts and detailed explanations for patch changes, and conducting more frequent player surveys like the recent one on Discord.

The response from Arrowhead’s leadership, including CEO Shams Jorjani, has been candid. Jorjani took responsibility for the controversial nerf to incendiary weapons, stating, “I’ll own this screw-up. I should have provided more context behind that change instead of just dropping it on you.”

This effort to mend the relationship with the community comes after a history of player frustration with confusing and, at times, seemingly arbitrary changes. Helldivers 2 game director Johan Pilestedt summed up the sentiment on X (formerly Twitter), saying, “It feels like every time someone finds something fun, that fun is taken away.”

With this new 60-day plan, Arrowhead Game Studios is taking decisive steps to regain the trust of its player base and ensure that Helldivers 2 remains a game that players enjoy.