Arrowhead Sport Studios has acknowledged Helldivers 2’s current Escalation of Freedom replace “did not hit [its] goal” following vital criticism from the neighborhood, and it is detailed the steps its taking to deal with core areas of criticism over the following 60 days.
Helldivers 2’s newest spherical of neighborhood unrest adopted the launch of final week’s main Escalation of Freedom replace, which featured headline additions together with new mission aims and enemies. Nonetheless, it is some under-the-hood steadiness tinkering that is confirmed significantly controversial, with nerfs to the favored FLAM-40 flamethrower – which has considerably lowered its effectiveness towards Chargers – drawing appreciable ire.
Varied senior crew members have already acknowledged participant suggestions – Arrowhead CEO Shams Jorjani drew parallels with a equally unpopular steadiness replace launched in April (thanks PC Gamer), confirming the studio was already discussing “what we are able to do to keep away from this example once more” – however now the developer is able to supply a extra formalised plan of assault.
In a publish shared on Reddit, Helldivers 2 recreation director Mikael Eriksson wrote, “We have spent the final week listening to suggestions, reflecting in regards to the path forward for Helldivers 2 and the way we wish to proceed creating the sport. Briefly, we didn’t hit our goal with the newest replace.” Eriksson added the studio sees two kinds of points it needs to deal with: “some issues we simply did not get proper” and “different extra elementary inconsistencies in our method to recreation steadiness and recreation path.”
“All of that’s on us and we’re going to personal that,” he continued. “As lots of you might have identified, and we agree, what issues most now’s motion. Not discuss.”
To that finish, Eriksson shared the studio’s plan for the following 60 days, which can start with an examination of its method to steadiness. “Our intention is that steadiness ought to be enjoyable,” he defined, “not ‘balanced’ for the sake of steadiness.” Arrowhead may also replace the flamethrower’s “fireplace harm mechanic” to tweak the way it works as a close-range assist weapon, however Eriksson careworn, “A fast straight revert will not work, as it could break different issues”.
Then, shifting onto different complaints stemming from final week’s Escalation of Freedom replace, Arrowhead will rework gameplay to stop extreme rag dolling, rethink its method to main weapons and “create a plan for making fight extra partaking”, reprioritise bug fixes so these impacting gameplay are addressed first, enhance recreation efficiency, and rework Chargers.
The studio can be seeking to set up an opt-in beta take a look at surroundings as a “excessive precedence” to enhance its testing processes, and it will be posting common participant surveys to assemble extra perception and suggestions. Moreover, it needs to enhance communication with gamers – offering extra context for modifications in its patch notes, and sharing extra weblog posts and streams to develop on these subjects. “We additionally wish to thanks on your persistence,” Eriksson added. “We’re grateful that so lots of you supplied constructive suggestions and solutions on the newest replace.
Arrowhead’s determination to rethink its method to balancing follows feedback made by Helldivers 2 artistic director Johan Pilestedt again in Could. “I believe we have gone too far in some areas,” he advised gamers. “It looks like each time somebody finds one thing enjoyable, the enjoyable is eliminated.” Hopefully, the studio’s new dedication to balancing will assist it keep away from falling right into a equally unpopular lure a 3rd time round.
