After receiving backlash from the Helldivers 2 community over the recently released Free Upgrade update, developer Arrowhead has been busy collecting feedback in a variety of different ways. Now, the studio has unveiled plans to act on those feedbacks, which include making some changes over the next 60 days.
In case you didn’t know better, some of the fire damage nerfs in the free upgrade update seemed to be the straw that broke the camel’s back for many players, with many questioning whether Arrow was taking the right approach to balance. Some even tried to have robots reach Super Earth in the game’s Galactic War as some kind of protest against these tweaks.
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Now, via a post on the Helldivers 2 subreddit, Arrowhead has shared details of its plans to act on feedback received for the update. “Our latest update fell short of our goals,” game director Mikael Eriksson wrote in the post. “There were some things we didn’t get right, as well as where we were in game balance and game direction. There are other more fundamental inconsistencies in the approach.
“All of this is on us and we will own it. As many of you have pointed out, and we agree, the most important thing now is action. Not words.
The developer went on to outline that the studio’s “goals over the next 60 days” are to achieve the following goals:
- Continue to revisit our balanced approach. Our intention is that balance should be fun, not “balance” for the sake of balance
- Updated how the fire damage mechanic works to adjust how the flamethrower functions as a close support weapon. (quick direct recovery won’t work as it will break something else)
- Gameplay redesigned to prevent excessive ragdolling
- Rethink our approach to primary weapon design and develop plans to make combat more engaging
- Re-prioritized bug fixes to prioritize bugs that more directly impact gameplay.
- Improve game performance (frame rate is the key)
In addition to this roadmap, the studio said its long-term goals are to improve the way it communicates updates and explain balance changes, as well as to gain more community feedback through player surveys. “explore [the] “Creating an opt-in beta testing environment to improve our testing process” is also on the list, and Erickson highlighted this goal as “we consider it a high priority.”
After Arrowhead shared the plans, CEO Shams Jorjani also confirmed in a tweet that the studio “will absolutely release updates for the game within the 60 days and beyond.”
What do you think of Arrowhead’s plans? If you’re not happy with the changes in the Free Upgrade update, will they make you feel more positive about the direction Helldiver 2 is going in terms of balance and feedback? Let us know below!
