Highlights

  • Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead Studios addresses community uproar over ricochet deaths with fixes for the R-36 Eruptor weapon.
  • Arrowhead Studios swiftly responds to player concerns, removing shrapnel effect from Eruptor but increasing direct hit damage for balance.
  • With consistent updates and player feedback, Helldivers 2 maintains strong momentum and player base on Steam and PS5 platforms.

Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead Studios has addressed recent community uproar concerning changes to the game's ricochet mechanics. Following the 01.000.300 patch for Helldivers 2, players reported an increased frequency of deaths caused by ricocheting projectiles, even from explosives like rockets.

The latest 01.000.300 update for Helldivers 2 brought with it a host of tweaks, including adjustments to weapon damage, enemy difficulty, and stratagems. One specific change involved ricochet mechanics, which has led to widespread issues among players, as clips shared across social media showcase Helldivers inexplicably dying very frequently from their own ricochets, even those involving rockets and explosives. A Redditor investigated the anomaly, and found the culprit to be the R-36 Eruptor, an explosive weapon that generates shrapnel upon detonation. While ricocheting bullets was the initial point of contention, it turned out that the shrapnel from the Eruptor was actually causing the unexpected casualties. The analysis suggested that other weapons with shrapnel effects might exhibit similar behavior, but the Eruptor was the most problematic.

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Arrowhead Studios wasted no time in addressing the community's concerns, posting a statement on Reddit, acknowledging the issue with Helldivers 2's R-36 Eruptor and announcing planned fixes for the weapon. To eliminate the possibility of damage induced by shrapnel, the Eruptor's shrapnel effect will be entirely removed. However, to maintain the weapon's effectiveness, Arrowhead will increase its direct hit damage. This tweak will ensure that the Eruptor remains "less lethal to the operator but just as powerful against enemies." Arrowhead sees this as a buff for the Eruptor, and so the weapon's explosive classification, area-of-effect damage, and its ability to destroy objects, shut holes, and obliterate fabricators will remain unchanged.

Arrowhead Expresses Gratitude to Fans for Highlighting the Issue

At the end of the statement, Arrowhead thanked the Helldivers 2 community for bringing the issue to its attention by way of diligent investigation. The studio's swift response and commitment to player satisfaction is also commendable, as the investigation of the Eruptor was posted only a few hours before Arrowhead's announcement. Fans of the co-op shooter appear to be generally a fun bunch as well, with some community members drawing up a list of unspoken rules after Helldivers 2 launched.

Arriving onto the live-service shooter scene back in February, Helldivers 2 has been an unprecedented success for Arrowhead. The co-op shooter has consistently ranked high in Steam's most-played charts and has reportedly sold over 8 million copies across PS5 and PC. Part of the success is Arrowhead's consistent tempo of updates, fixes, and Warbonds for Helldivers 2, as well as quick reactions to community feedback. Thanks to the studio's dedication, Helldivers 2 appears well-positioned to maintain its momentum for months to come.