Helldivers 2 Is Giving Flame Weapons One Hell of a Buff

Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead is lifting the lid on the game’s hotly anticipated 01.001.007 update with an early look at the patch notes.

The explosive shooter broke records when it launched earlier this year, becoming the fastest-selling PlayStation Studios game of all time. But Arrowhead has suffered a torrid time of late as it struggles to satisfy Helldivers 2’s fanbase, with recent months in particular resulting in a ‘mostly negative’ recent user review rating on Steam. It's now up to 'mixed,' and Helldivers 2's overall Steam user review rating remains 'mostly positive.'

Most of the negativity revolves around a feeling that Arrowhead has been heavy handed in nerfing Helldivers 2’s various weapons and stratagems as it balances the game. The constant nerfs have caused some players to accuse Arrowhead of stripping all the fun out of Helldivers 2, a game that revolves around blowing alien bugs and robots to bits with over-the-top guns and bombs.

This patch, which Arrowhead hopes will make significant changes to the PC and PlayStation 5 co-op action game and bring its disgruntled community back on-side, launches September 17. But before then, we now know Arrowhead’s plan to rebalance Flamethrowers, one of the more contentious weapons in the game.

Flamethrower damage is increased by a huge 33% with the release of the patch, Arrowhead confirmed, and flame weapon armor penetration is increased. “Flamer mechanics will be reverted to the state before the Escalation of Freedom update and flame based weapons can now damage heavier enemies like Chargers, Bile Titans, Impalers, and Hulks,” Arrowhead explained.

That last change is key: with an armor penetration increase, flame weapons will now be a viable option against some of Helldivers 2’s toughest enemies, such as the aforementioned Hulks.

This Flamethrower change is just one of what is expected to be a series of buffs to Helldivers 2’s various weapons and stratagems.  Arrowhead has said it will reveal more about the patch each day running up to its release, so it won’t be long before fans find out what other buffs are coming their way. For now, here’s what Arrowhead has said about it:

Here’s what to expect from Helldivers 2's upcoming update, per Arrowhead:

• We are reworking Armor Penetration, Anti-Tank weapons and enemy armor and health values. As a key part of the rework we have done an initial balancing pass on over 30 weapons and stratagems.
• We are overhauling a number of different enemies to make them feel more rewarding to kill when you use the proper tools to handle them but ensure they still feel formidable. Enemy bots, including Hulks, will have lower armor, and the number of rockets fired by enemies like the Devastator and Gunship will be limited, making combat more balanced. The armor values of particularly tough bug enemies like the Charger, Impaler, and Bile Titan will also be reduced.
• Weapons such as the Autocannon, Heavy Machine Gun, and Anti-Material Rifle will be more effective, providing greater loadout versatility. We are also working towards additional improvements for the flamethrower weapons.
• We’re taking this opportunity to consider new player fantasies and design goals for these weapons and stratagems based on the feedback we’ve received and the trends we’re observing during gameplay.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.