Helldivers 2

Helldivers 2 devs double down on ‘hated’ weapon nerfs

Helldivers 2 has rolled out some serious nerfs, including on the beloved Railgun, leading to serious fan fallout - but it looks like the dev team isn't sorry.

Joseph Kime

Joseph Kime

07th Mar 2024 11:10

Images via Arrowhead Game Studios

helldivers-railgun-nerfs.png

Arrowhead Games Studios' Helldivers 2 has been a treat for players because, despite server issues, the thrill of blasting Terminids to bits is simply too great to endure any criticism. But, the ease with which players can kill has come under threat - and Helldivers 2's devs aren't apologising for it.

Dropping players onto a desolate planet and asking them to restore democracy in the face of robot and insect threats has led to too many iconic moments so far, and the ease with which players obliterate masses of monsters has led to some genuinely relieving catharsis.

Helldivers 2 has been hit with huge nerfs

A horde of Automatons approaches in Helldivers 2.

Some huge nerfs have struck Helldivers 2, with the Arrowhead team doling out perhaps the most feared nerf of them all - the beloved Railgun has had its power officially tempered. Shotguns, flamethrowers, and laser cannons have all suffered, but it's the Railgun that has been the most mourned change so far.

It seems that the Helldivers team knew this outcry was going to happen. They've explained the philosophy behind the changes in a brand-new blog post outlining the changes, and though they've got some fair reasons, it hasn't made them any more popular with fans.

"The Railgun is really intended to be a high powered anti-tank sniper rifle, requiring both timing with the unsafe fire mode and accuracy with where you hit the enemy," reads the post on the Arrowhead Game Studios site from Social Media & Community Manager Katherine Baskin.

"It was vastly over-performing in how safe it was to use and how convenient it was, not requiring a backpack or assistance to be effective, and not requiring risk to take out even larger armored targets."

"We are aware it rose to prominence as part of other anti-tank weapons not being as convenient or efficient in comparison," Baskin continues. "We are monitoring the situation closely and will adjust more based on how this change plays out."

Fans react to Railgun nerfs in Helldivers 2

While it makes sense that Arrowhead Game Studios would have to nerf the overpowered weapon, it hasn’t stopped players from being devastated by the shift. One disgruntled gamer wrote, "THE ENTIRE POINT OF A RAILGUN is to penetrate armor. What are we even doing here? Don’t be like the rest of them, Helldivers. JFC."

Another raged, "Why balance the Railgun???!! Was this the Bugs idea?" and a third said, "Lol yall came out with these meta loadouts & the devs said 'Nope'. See, should’ve just kept yall mouth closed lol." Someone else simply wrote, "It's not PvP, why nerf anything??"

We knew this was coming, and yet, it still stings all the same. While some mourn the loss of the Railgun we knew and loved, we're looking forward to new metas yet to come. Who knows, maybe the run-and-gun play could become even more viable.

Joseph Kime

About The Author

Joseph Kime

Joseph Kime is the Senior Trending News Journalist for GGRecon from Devon, UK. Before graduating from MarJon University with a degree in Journalism, he started writing music reviews for his own website before writing for the likes of FANDOM, Zavvi and The Digital Fix. He is host of the Big Screen Book Club podcast, and author of Building A Universe, a book that chronicles the history of superhero movies. His favourite games include DOOM (2016), Celeste and Pokemon Emerald.

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