The Helldivers 2 ammo economy is undergoing a big change in developer Arrowhead’s newest update, as it drops patch 01.000.300. While fully exhausting your magazines on the higher difficulties is something everyone should be aware of, exactly how we engage with our ammo counts is about to shift. On top of this change, you can now expect balancing adjustments to weapons, stratagems, and enemies across the board.
Get ready to memorize the Helldivers 2 resupply stratagem input, because the co-op game’s next big patch is here. Magazine sizes are being reduced on a large number of weapons, so you’ll have fewer rounds available before you need to reload. On the contrary, the number of enemy patrols is increasing for any Helldivers crew that contains fewer than four players, a further incentive to drop with a filled-out squad. Arrowhead says the increase in patrols will be most noticeable “for solo players at higher difficulties.”
Mission objectives should now spawn closer together too, and burning damage has been reduced by 15% across the board. Considering how annoying Helldivers 2 fire was for the longest time, this is an incredibly welcome change.
The magazine nerf has hit a massive number of guns. You can see the full list and all the changes below:
- Exploding Crossbow magazines: 12 to eight
- Quasar Cannon: recharge time increased by five seconds
- Adjudicator magazines: from six to eight
- Punisher Plasma magazines: from 12 to eight
- Eruptor magazines: from 12 to six
- Sickle magazines: from six to three
- Scythe magazines: from six to four
As for exactly why these changes have been made, Arrowhead explains its reasoning in the Helldivers 2 Discord. “Maximum mags carried are being reduced but ammo pickup is being increased to necessitate resupplies and scavenging ammo more often,” Helldivers 2 associate community manager ‘Spitz’ says.
While it might not seem like a good change at first glance, I firmly believe that forcing us to explore more of the map and scavenge is a good thing, especially if objectives are now closer together. Perhaps we’ll find rogue Super Credits, Samples, side objectives, or even powerful support weapons.
This change to the ammo economy is a smaller part of the big new patch – Spitz explains that it’s one of very few nerfs we can expect. “Most of the 24 things being changed are being buffed,” the community manager says. “There’s like maybe two I’d consider a nerf and most of the nerfs are just to reduce the maximum mags carried.”
Spitz also clarifies that the new patch will include Warbond upgrades, though these won’t be available in the game “until weeks later.”
The monthly Helldivers 2 Warbonds are still rolling in with new weapons, armor, offensive items, and cosmetics, so you’d better start saving your Super Credits. With the balance between Helldivers 2 Warbonds and constant bug fixes always on Arrowhead’s mind, the next big patch looks to deliver on both fronts. You’ll find the full 01.000.300 patch notes right here.
With these ammo changes imminent you’ll want to brush up on the best Helldivers 2 weapons before they have fewer magazines, but at least the Helldivers 2 stratagems will seemingly remain untouched.
You can also follow us on Google News for daily PC games news, reviews, and guides, or grab our PCGN deals tracker to net yourself some bargains.