Helldivers 2 is a fun and chaotic multiplayer game where players can team up with their friends to fight against hostile alien forces and for democracy. Arrowhead Game Studios has put in a lot of thought and effort for the sequel of their top-down shooter and implemented more features like firearms and stratagems, however being a live service game means it is bound to run into issues.
The illusion of making players feel invincible is not something the developers of Arrowhead are prioritizing, they are leaning towards the direction of collaboration and teamwork but also force their players to utilize other advantages like stratagems. These can help shift the tide of battle and in the favor of players but new evidence has surfaced that most of them are not functioning as it was intended.
Arrowhead’s Helldivers 2 Is Full Of Broken Stratagems
Players shared gameplay footage of the inconsistencies of burn damage between being the host and not the host. It can be a nuisance and a major problem if players are stuck between a rock and a hard place. As shown below, if you’re hosting, the flamethrower (and other flame-based weapons) cause damage, but if you’re not, then they don’t. Players also speculate if this is the case for gas-based weapons too.
Burning damage deals zero damage when you are not host. Here is video HOST vs NOT HOST for proof. If you feel you don't deal damage, this is the reason. Incendiary is great when YOU HOST | #Helldivers2
🎥 Rail-signal pic.twitter.com/jBs2QqdVbd
— HELLDIVERS 2 Updates (@Helldivers2HQ) March 31, 2024
The inconvenience this issue can bring is very annoying. Helldivers 2 is a complex multiplayer title and a live-service game which most likely means the developers at Arrowhead are working day and night for quality insurance and constant maintenance for a balanced game.
Recently, they nerfed the railgun in favor of encouraging players to use stratagems but given how broken some of the stratagems are, players are faced with an awful hand. It isn’t fun to use equipment that is not working as it should be especially when players need it to. Arrowhead needs to remedy the situation before it gets worse and more noticeable.
I notice that when my friend hosts they have the setting for remembering if they are in 1st person enabled, it enables it for everyone, it also won't show its enabled in settings which is weird, makes me wonder if it secretly enables other settings to match the host.
— Raven Wolfe (@Raven_Wolfe23) March 31, 2024
There may be other features that are being compromised with all the hidden issues that may not be game-breaking yet but will most likely ruin a player’s experience. The burn damage could be the least of Arrowhead’s problems.
Helldivers 2’s Rapid Success Provides Arrowhead Game Studios a Constantly Evolving Issue
Live service games are bound to face technical issues, the games themselves can be high maintenance and needs constant oversight from developers. Call of Duty is a common victim of bugs and glitches despite being a popular IP, Activision is still keeping up with all the issues that arise.
Johan Pilestedt is the game director and CEO of Arrowhead Game Studios and promises members of their community that Helldivers 2 is the start of an expanding universe, however, that vision may start to blur if glitches and bugs are not settled. The game requires support from the developers especially when it was made on a discontinued engine which may pose a problem to future content updates and more susceptible to bugs.
Helldivers 2 showcases the brutality of war and the players will need all the help they can get, and if features like burn damage will only be rendered useless unless they are the host of the lobby then it will decrease their chances of success. Arrowhead needs to bulk up its support and prepare for years of content integration and maintenance.
Have you experienced this sort of issue in Helldivers 2? Let us know in the comments section below!
