If you’ve been playing Helldivers 2 lately, you’ve probably noticed things are getting pretty heated—not just on the battlefield but in the community, too.
With the latest update, Escalation of Freedom, some big changes have hit our favorite weapons, and let’s just say not everyone’s thrilled.
In fact, many players are so upset that they’re letting the bots take over Super Earth without putting up much of a fight.
Sounds wild, right? Well, let’s dive deep into what’s going on and why everyone’s so fired up!
Key Takeaways
- Helldivers 2 players are unhappy with recent weapon changes and are protesting by abandoning the fight against bots.
- Bots are getting close to taking over Super Earth, with only one sector left standing, and many players are okay with letting it fall.
- The game's developers know players are upset and are asking for feedback to help fix the situation.
Players React to the Escalation of Freedom Update
The Escalation of Freedom update, released last week, made some big changes to the game, including weakening popular weapons like flamethrowers and the SG-225IE Breaker Incendiary shotgun.
These changes were supposed to make the game more balanced, but instead, they have upset many players who feel their favorite weapons need to be stronger.
As a result, a lot of players have stopped fighting on the Automaton front, allowing the bots to get closer to Super Earth.
The phrase “Let the bots advance. Let Super Earth burn” has become a common way for these upset players to express their anger. The bots are now just one sector away from reaching Super Earth, and there aren’t enough players trying to stop them.
The Growing Threat to Super Earth
The situation is getting worse. Only the Kelvin Sector stands between the bots and Super Earth, and with just 1,066 players left fighting in the Marspira sector, the defense is falling apart.
While some players are worried about how far the bots have come, many others are actually hoping for Super Earth’s fall.
One player on the game’s subreddit wrote, “Let them have it; maybe then Super Earth will finally give us some real guns,” reflecting the frustration many in the community felt.
Another player said, “If Super Earth wanted to stay safe, they would stop nerfing our guns.”
These comments show how upset many players are, believing that the weapon changes have made it impossible to defend properly against the bots.
Some players even think the bots taking over is a realistic outcome, given the game’s current state.
One player said, “Sucky guns and outclassed artillery lose wars!” They and others blame the recent weapon changes for the game’s problems, saying that the weaker weapons make it impossible to hold off the bots.
Developers Respond to the Backlash
Amid the latest Helldivers 2 news, developers at Arrowhead Studios are aware that players are upset. In a recent message shared on the game’s Discord channel, Arrow Game Studios’ CEO, Shams Jorjani, said they were disappointed with how the update has been received.
Jorjani mentioned that while the Helldivers update added many new features, most of the attention has focused on the controversial weapon changes.
“I haven’t talked to everyone, but many of us are disappointed on a few levels,” Jorjani said. He explained that sometimes, long development times can lead to changes that don’t match what players want.
“What you see is the result of weeks and months of development work,” he explained, pointing out how hard it is to balance long-term goals with what players expect.
Jorjani also said the studio needs to improve its understanding of players’ needs and ensure that feedback is included in the development process.
“We want every release to be a step in the right direction. Constant improvement. I don’t think we feel this was that, so we need to do better,” he admitted. He also stressed that talking about it isn’t enough—actions must follow.
Review Bombing and the Ongoing Battle for Helldivers 2’s Future
The frustration with the Escalation of Freedom update hasn’t stayed in the game. Helldivers 2 on Steam has seen a big jump in negative reviews, with over 670 negative reviews on the day the update came out.
Many of these reviews say the game is good overall but criticize the developers for what they see as unnecessary and unhelpful changes.
This isn’t the first time Helldivers 2 has faced backlash from its community. The game was hit with negative reviews earlier this year after the announcement that PC players would need to link their Steam accounts to a PSN account to keep playing.
After intense community pressure, the developers eventually backed down, and the game’s review score temporarily improved.
However, the current wave of negative reviews shows that the tension between the developers and players hasn’t gone entirely.
What’s Next for Helldivers 2?
As the bots move closer to Super Earth and players remain unhappy, the future of Helldivers 2 is still being determined.
Although the developers have opened a feedback form to hear from players, it is unclear whether this will be enough to fix the issues.
The ongoing protests and negative reviews make it clear that many players feel their concerns aren’t being heard.
Whether the developers can turn things around will depend on how well they respond to player feedback and make changes that restore balance to the game.
For now, the fate of Super Earth is in the balance, with only time—and possibly more updates—revealing whether players will return to defend it or let it fall to the bots as a final protest against the changes that have brought them to this point.
P.S. We hope you enjoyed this article! Since you’re here, why not check out our latest updates on the PS6 release date?
