Helldivers 2 is a whirlwind of beautiful chaos, and that’s part of what makes it so special, and one of the very best PC games in this already busy year. The co-op third-person shooter continues to win over hearts and minds in its explosive fight to spread liberty, and as a longtime advocate of the original game I was impressed how well the sequel captures the fun of failing. Yet sometimes, when it all kicks off, it can feel a little too busy, especially when a lot of heavy, armored enemies roll in together, and developer Arrowhead Game Studios admits that these swarms can feel a bit too much of a pain to handle.
With the recent round of Helldivers 2 weapon changes in its first balance patch, some of the most popular ways to deal with heavy enemies in the co-op game such as Terminid chargers and Automaton hulks have been toned down, such as the railgun. That can make them a real problem, as you’re often left relying on your stratagems to take them down, which can lead to situations where you’re kiting a group of dangerous enemies, waiting for your cooldowns to refresh.
“We’ve heard your concerns over the last few days regarding enemy spawns, enemy armor, and the ability to kill these enemies,” Helldivers 2 associate community manager ‘Spitz’ writes in a post to the game’s official discord. “I can confirm that we’re currently looking at changes to the spawn rates and health pools of heavy enemies, and will be attempting to spread them out more to prevent large spikes of tougher mobs appearing at the same time, as well as making them a bit easier to bring down.”
They also add that, although it wasn’t mentioned at the time, the recent patch has buffed two of the best Helldivers 2 stratagems you get to deal with armored enemies early on. “The EAT-17 and Recoilless Rifle no longer suffer from a 50% damage decrease when hitting an armored enemy at a ‘glance angle’ that deflects the shot.” These were probably my team’s two go-to weapons for quickly handling armored foes in the original Helldivers, so I’m glad to see them getting some more love here, as they can often feel outclassed by other options right now.
“Combined with the upcoming adjustment to health and spawn rates, this should make the larger enemies a bit less common, instead spawning more ‘chaff’ enemies to support them, and should allow players to bring these enemies down with a single well-placed shot,” Spitz concludes. “Hopefully this leads to less instances of endless kiting and players being left without any effective weaponry to kill harder enemies.”
Dealing with the heavier enemies in your way can certainly start to feel a bit more like a chore than anything at times, and while it is quite satisfying to overcome a foe who feels more like an equal, it feels both exciting and rewarding to have those ‘hero moments’ where you nail a clean shot right between the armor plates and get that perfect kill. We also just got a look at the next Helldivers 2 Warbond, seen in the trailer below, which should bring us a new round of Helldivers 2 weapons to play around with, so perhaps the next best gadget is just around the corner.
For the time being, however, you’ll want to make sure you’re rocking plenty of juicy airstrikes in your Helldivers 2 loadout so that you can deal with any dangerous situations that arise. If you’re in need of experience, credits, and medals to get your hands on them, make sure to hit up the best Helldivers 2 farm spots.
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