Helldivers 2

Helldivers 2 review-bombed after Escalation of Freedom update nerfs it into oblivion

Arrowhead Game Studios is under fire once again, with Helldivers 2's Escalation of Freedom update leading to it being review-bombed over 'unfair' nerfs.

Tom Chapman

Tom Chapman

07th Aug 2024 12:09

Image via Arrowhead Game Studios

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It seems like the teacher's pet has fallen from grace, and while Arrowhead Game Studios' Helldivers 2 started out as a breath of fresh air to the stale shooter scene in 2024, it's since struggled to hold onto its place at the top of the charts.

Arrowhead has attempted to keep things fresh with a slew of updates, but sadly, each one has been fraught with problems. Despite some 'fiery' additions, the pricey Premium Warbonds have hardly been settling the game alight, while there's still no sign of the promised Illuminate faction.

Helldivers 2 review-bombed over Escalation of Freedom update

Helldivers 2 being nerfed following Escalation of Freedom update

The devs have changed course, with Community Manager Thomas Petersson warning that the frequency of updates will slow down to make sure things are right. Unfortunately, an extended wait for the Escalation of Freedom update hasn't seemed to have done the game any good - with the reviews speaking for themselves. 

In the past 24 hours, the Steam reviews have dragged Helldivers of Freedom over the coals, apparently putting nerfs in the crosshairs. Arrowhead has struggled to get its balancing right, and with Escalation of Freedom, it seems this issue has reached a fever pitch. On August 6 alone, there were 671 negative reviews.

There are nerfs across the board, with the Incendiary Breaker going from an OP shotgun to a weak addition to your arsenal. Studio CEO Shams Jorjani is clearly paying attention and quickly took to X to reassure us, "We'll tweak again." Still, the damage is done, and the fires of hatred are burning Helldivers 2 to a crisp. 

One particularly vocal review reads, "Save yourself from a few headaches by not buying this. It is so tiresome when bugs and issues that have been bringing down the quality of the game go unfixed for months and months while developers are seemingly busy playing Whac-A-Fun."

Another disgruntled gamer raged, "The balance team for Helldivers 2 are inconceivably incompetent as they do not understand how to properly balance a game and proceed to nerf good weapons to be on par with the bad ones," while a third said, "Devs are absolute buffoons, who do not even play their game and constantly nerf everything under the sun that is remotely fun." 

Freedom of Escalation is Helldivers 2's biggest update to date, adding new Difficulty 10 runs known as Super Helldives, a Death Stranding-inspired bug babysitting objective called Larva Retrieval, and a creepy Swamp biome to give us a change of scenery. 

New enemies, including a fog-cloaked Spore Charger, a new boss in the form of the Terminid Alpha Commander, and the return of the Impaler enemy type from the OG Helldivers. Elsewhere, the Automatons get the Rocket Tank and "other bot surprises" to bolster their ranks. 

Arrowhead has clearly gone all out to celebrate the game's six-month anniversary, and with the long-awaited addition of a system that stops grief-kicking, there's plenty to enjoy here. Sadly, it seems the team is accused of being the fun police by nerfing your favourite weapons. 

Tom Chapman

About The Author

Tom Chapman

Tom is Trending News Editor at GGRecon, with an NCTJ qualification in Broadcast Journalism and over seven years of experience writing about film, gaming, and television. With bylines at IGN, Digital Spy, Den of Geek, and more, Tom’s love of horror means he's well-versed in all things Resident Evil, with aspirations to be the next Chris Redfield.

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