Helldivers are protesting, spelling trouble for Super Earth

One Nerf Too Many

The latest Helldivers 2 patch has been met with a significant backlash, particularly due to nerfs made to the flamethrower weapon, sparking a fierce wave of criticism so intense that the studio's CEO felt compelled to respond.

Interestingly, some players are expressing their dissatisfaction through in-game actions, with many grunts abandoning the Automaton front in protest. This player-driven inaction has allowed the bot forces to dangerously close in on the home world of Super Earth.

Let Super Earth Burn

Last week's Helldivers 2 Escalation of Freedom update introduced significant nerfs to weapons like the flamethrowers and Breaker Incendiary shotgun, much to the dismay of many players who have grown fond of these tools. Unsurprisingly, this has prompted a strong negative reaction, with some players adopting the defeatist stance of "Let the bots advance. Let Super Earth burn."

The Automaton front is now rapidly advancing towards Super Earth, with only the Kelvin Sector standing in their way. Currently, there is a dearth of players actively fighting to defend this final contested sector, according to the unofficial Helldivers 2 Galactic Map website. Many players have expressed a willingness to let the bots take over, with some suggesting that this would prompt the Super Earth leadership to finally provide them with more effective weaponry.

A lack of firepower

Some players have even argued that the bot takeover is a realistic consequence of the weapon nerfs, claiming that "Sucky guns and outclassed artillery lose wars!" and that the downgraded equipment from Super Earth's factories is no longer sufficient to fend off the enemy forces.

This player-driven dilemma presents a significant challenge for Arrowhead Game Studios. If the bots succeed in their invasion, the studio will need to quickly adapt, as a simple scenario of players shooting bots on the same auto-generated maps would likely feel unsatisfying. However, the studio has also struggled to maintain a consistent update cadence, making the prospect of rapidly developing new content, such as the often-requested urban warfare maps, a daunting task.

Feedback

It will be interesting to see if these player efforts (or lack thereof) could actually lead to the invasion of Super Earth. However, if you're looking for a more direct way to voice constructive criticism, Arrowhead has now opened a player feedback form. Hopefully, the game will soon reach a point where everyone is eager to defend Super Earth again.