The community of Helldivers 2 has been quite a prosperous and fun one since the game managed to settle into its newfound success (Read: Once people could get into the game).
People have jovially made memes, “roleplayed” as liberation officers and discussed the myriad of ways you can turn a bot into scrap metal, or a bug into soup.
Then the very first balance patch for Helldivers 2 happened.
In a nutshell, the developers of the game made adjustments to a handful of weapons that were performing perhaps a little too efficiently – nothing sweepingly terrible, nothing was binned – but absolutely enough that people might have to think a little harder about what boomstick they planned to dispense indiscriminate freedom with.
And with that, the decorum of the Helldivers 2 community was shattered. Immediately a rift appeared between those that felt these must-have weapons were treated too harshly and those that sagely understood where Arrowhead was going with the changes. A word of advice from Arrowhead that suggested that players need to rely on their strategems more (powerful attacks that call in orbital bombardments and the like) got met with sneers and derision as those who play on harder difficulties know that stategems get dramatically punished at those tiers.
It wasn’t fun, but it was expected. Player passion immediately bleeds into debate – and if one is to comments while the blood is running hot you’ll often find it to be inflammatory.
Much to the disappointment of many, a small cadre of Arrowhead employees even added fuel to the fire in the worst way, by way of worthless comments that mocked upset players. Laughing and offering advice such as “git gud” did little to quell the online community.
Some of these Arrowhead members have since come forward to admit that their “we do a little trolling” might have gone a little further than expected – but amongst the rabble of a community in turmoil, a paragon has stepped forward to dispense some good old fashioned goodness once again.
Arrowhead Game Studios head Johan Pilestedt has been a pillar of awesomeness throughout all of Helldivers 2’s growing pains – and is even well known for turning down a prime opportunity for some console war bickering. In record time, Johan made a statement to the community that even he agrees that the behaviour isn’t great – using the dreaded “D” word; Disappointed.
Pilestedt responses to the dev comments
byu/Worried-Point-1858 inHelldivers
The conversation has since past it’s boiling point, with many of the more pointed discussions finding a little more common ground – we are all in this cause for the same reasons, after all. There has even been some great dialogue from the end of Arrowhead to placate some of the concerns players have about higher difficulties, so all in all it has been a very productive spat.
But, it has to be said – it is fantastic to see a company so open to discussion with their user base, and a leadership that understands that a community is more than just its users. So let us see that great call for us all to get along and not bicker one more time:
Why compare? Just let gamers love and enjoy both, either or neither. We need more compassion and union in the world, and less rivalry.
— Pilestedt (@Pilestedt) March 3, 2024
Ah yeah, that’s the stuff. Be excellent to one another – and if any of your enemies mention diplomacy, remember – it’s a trick.
Were you part of the initial Helldivers 2 weapon balance peril? Let us know in the comments or on social media. Oh, and keep on liberating Tien Kwan, daddy needs a new mech ASAP.
Known throughout the interwebs simply as M0D3Rn, Ash is bad at video games. An old guard gamer who suffers from being generally opinionated, it comes as no surprise that he is both brutally loyal and yet, fiercely whimsical about all things electronic. On occasion will make a youtube video that actually gets views. Follow him on YouTube @Bad at Video Games
