Helldivers 2 Dev Working to Address Complaints After Escalation of Freedom: 'What Matters Most Now Is Action'

ign.com:

Helldivers 2 players were left dissatisfied with the launch of its recent Escalation of Freedom update, and developer Arrowhead Studios says it wants to fix that.

The studio published a statement on the matter on its Reddit page, outlining a 60-day plan in an attempt to regain player trust and lost ground. It’s a message that sees Arrowhead acknowledging player frustrations, as it promises to focus on “action. Not talk,” when it comes to Helldivers 2’s future.

“We’ve spent the last week listening to feedback, reflecting about the path ahead for Helldivers 2 and how we want to continue developing the game,” game director Mikael Eriksson said. “In short, we didn’t hit our target with the latest update. Some things we just didn’t get right - and other more fundamental inconsistencies in our approach to game balance and game direction. All of that is on us and we are going to own that.”

Anger from Helldivers 2 fans stems from a number of gameplay tweaks and additions that have arrived since launch in February. Namely, many are upset with recent weapon nerfs, arguing that Arrowhead’s balance tweaks hamper fun in favor of a more even experience overall. It’s a conversation that has seen the community divided, as there is a fair share of others who prefer the feeling of barely extracting from a mission alive.

Regardless, Arrowhead feels the need to step in. Within the next 60 days, Eriksson promises to re-examine how the team approaches balance in Helldivers 2. That means alterations to how fire damage works and rag-dolling that isn’t as intrusive to the experience. Arrowhead also wants to prioritize bugs that directly impact gameplay while improving frame rate across Helldivers 2. Another change promised in the first 60 days will see those relentless Chargers reworked, though no details on how they will be changed were revealed.

“Our intention is that balance should be fun, not ‘balanced’ for the sake of balance,” the outline says.

Arrowhead’s grand outline comes with a few