Summary
SomeHelldivers 2players are unhappy with recent changes to the Slugger weapon brought about by the game’s latest update. The newHelldivers 2patch brought some new features and balancing changes to the game’s growing arsenal of weapons, once again shifting the debate over which tools are the best.
ThoughHelldivers 2is barely two months old, every change made to the game by developer Arrowhead Game Studio inspires quick reactions. This is especially true of any changes to weapon properties, as weapons are critical to ensuring players can effectively fight their Terminid and Automaton enemies. Huge debates arise aboutwhichHelldivers 2primary weapon is best, given that primary weapons like the standard issue Liberator assault rifle or Breaker shotgun are what players will spend the majority of their time shooting. New primary weapon options are also the main way Arrowhead is handling post-release monetization, as some new items like the Punisher Plasma and Incendiary Breaker are exclusive to the game’s Premium War Bonds.
Complaints Arise after Helldivers 2 Slugger Shotgun Changes
Not long after Arrowhead deployedHelldivers 2update 01.000.200, complaints began popping up in the game’s official communities and on social media. The patch fixed bugs and adjusted game balance on some mission types, but also changed the properties of some weapons, including the popularSG-8S Sluggershotgun.The Slugger is a variant of theHelldivers 2SG-8 Punisher shotgun, modified to fire powerful “slug” rounds instead of the Punisher’s pellets. In general, the changes to the Slugger reduced its overall damage and its ability to stagger larger enemies and destroy certain structures.
Players who enjoyed the Slugger and saw it as the best counter to some deadlyHelldivers 2Automaton enemieswere not happy with the changes, calling the weapon’s weakening unnecessary. The mood was particularly negative in light of the same update’s boosts to the JAR-5 Dominator, a magazine-fed slug shotgun exclusive to the Steeled Veterans War Bond. The Dominator received upgrades to its damage output and staggering ability.
Some complaints centered around the perception that the Slugger lost its unique role in the weapon hierarchy. They claimed thatthe upgrades to the premiumHelldivers 2Dominatormake it an outright replacement for the Slugger. Others suggested that the changes would have been easier to accept had the Slugger not also lost some staggering ability, since prior to the update it was the favored tool for stunning deadly Automaton Devastator enemies.
The issue of weapon balance is always a hot topic in games centered around combat, butHelldivers 2must tread carefully, as many of the game’s newest weapons were released via Premium War Bonds. Player reactions to newHelldivers 2weapon changes will be especially fierce if the perception sets in that Arrowhead is giving players who pay an unnecessary advantage, even though the game itself doesn’t have a competitive mode. Time will tell if the changes will stick or be rolled back later.
Helldivers 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Do you believe in freedom? Can you stand in the face of oppression – and defend the defenceless? Wage war for peace. Die for democracy.Join forces with up to three friends and wreak havoc on an alien scourge threatening the safety of your home planet, Super Earth, in this multiplayer co-op shooter for PS5 and PC from Arrowhead Game Studios.Step into the boots of the Helldivers, an elite class of soldiers whose mission is to spread peace, liberty and Managed Democracy using the biggest, baddest and most explosive tools in the galaxy.Helldivers don’t go planet side without proper backup, but it’s up to you to decide how and when to call it in. Not only do you have a host of superpowered primary weapons and customizable loadouts, you also have the ability to call on stratagems during play.Helldivers 2 features Arrowhead’s best cooperative gameplay yet. Collaboration will be vital: Teams will synergize on loadouts, strategize their approach for each mission and complete objectives together.1Enlist in Super Earth’s premier military peacekeeping force today. We are heroes… we are legends… WE ARE HELLDIVERS.
