2 days Ago By Jessica Filby
The September 17 Helldivers 2 patch promised to completely rework the game’s weapons , Stratagems , and enemies after various player frustrations. As such, there are plenty of buffs and nerfs for fans to look out for. While it wasn’t the nail in the coffin , Helldivers 2 has certainly been on a journey of buffs and nerfs since it was released in February.
However, September 17 marks a plethora of major changes to key weapons, with some being reverted back to their original powers after the community slammed developers Arrowhead Studios. While there are plenty of standouts, the likes of the Liberator, Flamethrower, Arc Thrower, and Breaker have received the most buffs, with increases to their damage, range, and even how many Arc streams you can use. Stratagems have also received some major buffs, with all tools capable of damaging heavily armored enemies getting damage increases.
On top of this, the Eagle 500kg bomb has a wider range, and the Emancipator Exosuit will deal more damage and have a higher rate of fire, as well as more ammo. Enemies are also being buffed and nerfed. The most notable is the balancing done to the Chargers , with a lower armor and less durable weak spots, but an increase in charge and side attack damage.
The Bile Titan’s armor has also been greatly reduced and allows players to take it down by destroying the exposed belly. For all the full September 17 patch notes, check out our guide . Weapon buffs and nerfs Previously, partial damage dealt 50% of full damage, which we found to be overly punishing and reduced effectiveness too much, leading to an excessive reliance on high armor penetration weapons.
We’ve now increased partial damage to 65% of full damage to address this issue. The Helldiver now takes less damage from headshots, which previously dealt 100% extra damage but now inflict only 50% extra damage. Damage from hits to other body parts has been slightly increased depending on the area hit.
This adjustment aims to normalize overall damage while maintaining detailed damage zones, reducing spike damage. Liberator & Liberator Carbine Damage is increased from 60 to 70 Durable damage increased from 14 to 17 Stagger force increased from 10 to 15 Max spare magazines increased from 7 to 8 Starting spare magazines increased from 5 to 6 Knight Damage is increased from 50 to 65 Durable damage increased from 5 to 7 Magazines now fully refill when picking up resupply Reduced recoil Liberator Concussive Now comes with a drum magazine which holds 60 rounds Number of mags reduced from 10 to 6. The number of mags have been reduced due to larger magazine capacity Tenderizer Related: Number of rounds in its magazine increased from 30 to 35 Starting magazines increased from 4 to 5 Breaker Now comes with an extended magazine which holds 16 shells Stagger force increased from 10 to 15 Spray and Pray Now has a duckbill muzzle making its spread very horizontal but less vertical Total Damage increased from 192 to 240 Scythe Cooldown is faster Adjustments to the heat VFX Scope changed to a low powered scope Removed recoil Sets enemies on fire faster Crossbow Explosion radius increased by 50% Explosion damage increased from 150 to 350 Eruptor Shrapnel is back! We heard your feedback and re-introduced the shrapnel.
We have replaced the original shrapnel with the Frag Grenade shrapnel to no longer instantly one-shot Helldivers with the exception of the occasional unlucky headshot. Shrapnel projectiles amount are set to 30 Shrapnel damage is set to 110 Explosion damage decreased from 340 to 225 We also increased the amount of shrapnel Explosion radius increased by 33% (17% for inner radius and 50% for outer radius) Defender Damage increased from 70 to 75 Durable damage increased from 7 to 8 Liberator Penetrator Damage increased from 45 to 60 Diligence Damage increased from 125 to 165 Durable damage increased from 32 to 42 Counter Sniper Damage increased from 140 to 200 Durable damage increased from 14 to 50 Stagger force increased from 15 to 20 Blitzer Now has a weak stun effect that builds up per shot on its targets Torcher Damage increased by 50% Flamer mechanics reverted to before the Escalation of Freedom update Increased AP from 3 to 4 Peacemaker Increased max spare magazines from 5 to 6 Dagger Gains heat more slowly Removed recoil Damage increased from 200 to 250 Sets enemies on fire faster Adjustments to the heat VFX Crisper Damage increased by 50% Flamer mechanics reverted to before the Escalation of Freedom update Increased AP from 3 to 4 Support Weapons Dedicated anti-tank weapons like the Recoilless Rifle, Quasar, Commando, Expendable Anti-Tank, SPEAR, and Patriot Exosuit rockets have all received significant damage boosts to enhance their effectiveness. Grenade Launcher Starting spare magazines increased from 1 to 2 Max spare magazines increased from 2 to 3 Explosion radius slightly increased Laser Cannon Cooldown is slightly faster Removed recoil Sets enemies on fire faster Can now damage heavier enemies like Chargers, Bile Titans, Impalers, Hulks Adjustments to the heat VFX Arc Thrower Range increased from 35 to 55 Now has a moderate stun effect that builds up on its targets Jumps additional times Durable damage increased from 50 to 100 Railgun Durable damage increased from 60 to 225 Fully overcharging damage increased from 150% to 250% Stalwart Damage is increased from 60 to 70 Durable damage increased from 14 to 17 Stagger force increased from 10 to 15 Machine Gun Stagger force increased from 15 to 20 Anti-Materiel Rifle Durable damage increased from 135 to 180 Can now damage heavier enemies like Chargers, Bile Titans, Impalers, Hulks Stagger force increased from 20 to 25 Heavy Machine Gun Stagger force increased from 20 to 25 Can now damage heavier enemies like Chargers, Bile Titans, Impalers, Hulks Commando Demolition strength against structures has been reduced; it can no longer destroy Automaton Fabricators in a single shot.
However, since the fabricators now have health, it can still take them out with two shots Flamethrower Damage increased by 33% Flamer mechanics reverted to before the Escalation of Freedom update Increased armor penetration from 3 to 4 Can now damage heavier enemies like Chargers, Bile Titans, Impalers, Hulks Autocannon Can now damage heavier enemies like Chargers, Bile Titans, Impalers, Hulks Frag Grenade Shrapnel damage increased by roughly 50% Max amount increased from 4 to 5 Refill increased from 2 to 3 Explosion radius increased Thermite Grenade Explosion damage increased from 100 to 2000 Shorter time until it ignites the thermite Time until it explodes slightly reduced Max number decreased from 4 to 3 Stratagem buffs and nerfs Every Stratagem capable of damaging heavily armored enemies has had their damage increased to account for the increased health of heavier enemies. Eagle 500kg bomb Explosion radius increased to match visuals better Eagle Rockets Damage slightly increased Gatling Sentry Stagger force increased from 15 to 20 Machine Gun Sentry Stagger force increased from 15 to 20 Tesla Tower Increased stagger force to match other Arc weapons Now has a moderate stun effect that builds up per hit on its targets Heavy Machine Gun Emplacement Stagger force increased from 20 to 25 Can now damage heavier enemies like Chargers, Bile Titans, Impalers, Hulks Patriot Exosuit Gatling stagger force increased from 15 to 20 Emancipator Exosuit Autocannon durable damage increased from 60 to 150 Rate of fire on its weapons increased from 125 to 175 Ammo increased from 75 to 100 per arm Orbital Laser Damage slightly increased Orbital Railcannon Damage slightly increased Orbital Gas Strike We are reworking the gas gameplay mechanics to become more crowd control focused in preparation for the Chemical Agents Warbond The gas effect has been reworked to cause blindness and confuse enemies and Helldivers alike at the expense of reduced damage over time All enemy buffs and nerfs Automaton Fabricators Automaton Fabricators now have health and armor in addition to their existing destruction system. This means that while many high armor penetration weapons can still destroy them, it may take multiple hits to do so, depending on the weapon used Added effects to clearer showcase their health state Hulks (All versions) Armor reduced from 5 to 4 Back weak spot slightly more durable Back weak spot health decreased from 1000 to 800 Hulk Bruiser Replaced the rocket launcher for an energy based cannon Increased how frequently the Hulk Bruiser shoots Tank Front armor increased from 5 to 6 Berserker Head health reduced from 150 to 125 Main health reduced from 1000 to 750 Abdomen is now a weak spot Chainsaw damage increased Devastators (All versions) Main health reduced from 800 to 750 Devastators now flinch when hit, causing their aim to worsen, similar to the Conscripts.
The intent is to make them easier to manage if you keep applying damage Rocket Devastators Now has a limited number of rockets, and you can see them disappear when they are spent Added a reload mechanic from their backpack to replenish their rockets once Rocket physics collision is smaller, making them easier to avoid Gunships Gunships now have a limited amount of rockets Rocket physics collision is smaller, making them easier to avoid Charger (All versions) Armor reduced from 5 to 4 The butt weak spot health is decreased from 1100 to 950 The butt weak spot is slightly less durable The belly armor reduced from 4 to 2 A damage multiplier has been added to the Charger’s exposed flesh of the main body, now dealing 300% damage Now turn slightly slower, when charging and moving normally Now charge less often Charge damage increased by 50% Sideattack damage increased by 50% Charger Behemoth The butt weak spot health is decreased from 1200 to 950 Hunter Health is reduced from 175 to 160 Scavengers Health is reduced from 80 to 60 Bile Titan Armor reduced from 5 to 4 We have reworked the Bile Titan’s belly gameplay Belly armor reduced from 4 to 2 Introduced a separate belly health pool once the outer belly layer has been destroyed Destroying the exposed belly health pool kills the Bile Titan Impaler Armor reduced from 5 to 4 Previously the Impaler could only retract its tentacles once during its entire lifetime when threatened, now it can do it several times Its tentacles pursue you over a shorter distance from the impaler and prioritize players nearer to the impaler If the impaler can’t see an enemy it will retract its tentacles after a brief period Impaler Tentacles Tentacle damage is increased Reduced camera shake of the tentacle attack The tentacles require less damage inflicted on them to retract For more on Helldivers 2, be sure to check out our build guides for the Termanid and Automaton threats, as well as all we know about the (hopefully) upcoming Illuminate faction ..
