Helldivers 2’s newest patch attempts to restore the fun with big buffs

Arrowhead Game Studios has released Patch 01.001.100 for Helldivers 2. The patch implements a balancing plan cheekily known as Buffdivers, due to the huge power increases granted across the board to primary weapons, stratagems, and anti-tank tools. Throughout the life of Helldivers 2, Arrowhead has traditionally pulled back power on weapons like the Eruptor and the Flamethrower, but after prolonged fan criticism, the developer has gone ahead and dropped a heaping helping of buffs on just about everything.

Enemies with heavy armor, like the Hulk and the Charger, are now more vulnerable. In addition to enemy armor nerfs, Arrowhead has buffed fan-favorite weapons like the Railgun, the Flamethrower, the Eruptor, and the Breaker. The heroes of Managed Democracy are doing more damage, and their relentless enemies among both the Automatons and Terminids are also tuned down. The end result is a much more explosive, easy experience in-game – although it’s still possible to get stomped, scorched, and shot a million times if you don’t play your cards right.

Helldivers 2’s fanbase has been split throughout the game’s lifespan between players who want a challenging, strategic experience against overwhelming odds, and those who want a power fantasy as the vanguard of Super Earth. Arrowhead hewed closer to the first fantasy, pulling back player power and nerfing the most viable tools. Today’s patch shows Arrowhead’s changing philosophy, as the developer walks back many of its previous nerfs in favor of showering the players with buffs galore.

The full patch notes are available here, and Arrowhead also released a 35-minute video going into detail on specific changes. If you’ve put Helldivers 2 on the shelf, now’s a good time to jump back into the fray – especially since players unlocked the Orbital Napalm Barrage in a recent Major Order mission. The Orbital Napalm Barrage absolutely showers the surrounding terrain with fire and brimstone, and it’s another example of the awesome powers that Arrowhead has granted to the Helldivers on the front lines.