Helldivers 2 has received a huge update that contains a ton of stratagem balance changes, which, as chief creative officer Johan Pilestedt explains, are intended to add extra loadout variety opportunities.
Pilestedt, who stepped down as developer Arrowhead's CEO last month, says that this update is aiming to "buff up some of the weaker stratagems" and alter some for consistency.
In a Steam post accompanying the new update's patch notes, Pilestedt goes into great detail regarding the changes made to each stratagem, with options like the Machine Gun Sentry, the HMG Emplacement, and the Anti-Personnel Minefield receiving buffs.
The changes are extensive, so we won't list them all here, but highlights include an increase in durability across all Sentry emplacements in order to make them less vulnerable to "small arms fire".
If you're a user of the Orbital Precision Strike (which, according to Pilestedt, pretty much everyone is), you'll be pleased to know it's had its call-in time and cooldown reduced.
Two Eagle stratagems, the Rocket Pods and the Strafing Run, have also been buffed, with the Rocket Pods gaining changes to make them "more consistent" in dealing with heavily-armored enemies and the Strafing Run getting extra armor penetration.
It's not just stratagems, either; several special weapons have also received buffs, including the Grenade Launcher, the Heavy Machine Gun, and the standard Machine Gun.
Standard weapons like the Purifier, the Explosive Crossbow, and the Eruptor have also seen changes in this patch, so if you've been using any of those weapons regularly, you'll likely notice a change.
It seems that Pilestedt and Arrowhead are intent on bringing bigger and more meaningful changes to Helldivers 2. Last week, the developer announced a shakeup to the way Warbonds would work, with less frequent and more impactful Warbonds planned for the future.
You can check out Helldivers 2 right now on PC and PlayStation 5. Make sure to read our review of the game if you want to know whether this bug-splattering shooter is worth your time.
