Major Patch Hit Helldivers 2, Introducing Long-Awaited Changes
Patch 01.000.400 for Helldivers 2 introduced the changes that players have been expecting. However, patrols, supply lines, and balance fixes are only part of the novelties from this update.
The promised extensive update for Helldivers 2 is now available. Arrowhead Studio has released "megapatch" 01.000.400 along with a list of changes (via Discord / Reddit). As promised, it's significantly longer than the descriptions of previous patches.
Logistics, strategy, and patrols
The addition of the long-awaited option to view supply lines and attack directions from within the game is perhaps the most significant change. Players will finally be able to plan joint operations without resorting to fan-made maps, which - let's face it - only a portion of Democracy's defenders used.
The devs wanted to keep the map legible, which was the main reason why HD2 hadn't shown this information so far. Hence other changes in the game interface.
The list also includes the promised improvements to patrols, i.e. reversing the recent unpopular changes introduced in update 01.000.300. Players also noticed that flying Automatons ships had joined the patrol (via Discord).
Hellish balance
Patch 01.000.400 is also an experiment with the new balancing philosophy of Helldivers 2. Just a reminder: the developers agreed with the players that the previous changes in weapons "killed the fun." That's why the developer made a promise to change his approach to balancing the equipment of hell divers.
The first sign of this is the fact that in the announcement published on Steam, the developers discussed the balance changes in version 01.000.400. The main goal of Arrowhead Game Studios is to strengthen the weakest Stratagems and improve the "consistency" of others to make them less unreliable, while maintaining their current power. This approach will also be used in future updates.
Besides, the list of changes contains many weapon fixes. There are also plenty of buffs here, although the devs have balanced them out with some nerfs. The A/MLS-4X missile launcher received the most love. The Stratagem has been nerfed in a few ways (primarily reduced armor penetration), but in exchange, the range, damage, and area of effect have been increased, and now the A/MLS-4X will consider larger targets as a priority.
On the surface, the Eagle 110MM rockets were weakened. "On the surface," because although the list of changes suggests a lot of nerfs, the devs explained in a separate post that in reality the patch is supposed to increase the effectiveness of this equipment in combat against heavily armored enemies (which is supposed to be the main application for this weapon). This is intended to improve precision and boost armor penetration.
Big changes and Viper Commandos
Patch 01.000.400 also brings many changes to the gameplay. The infamous fire tornadoes have been altered to move in a more random manner and limit the visibility of enemies. The number of heavily armored opponents at higher difficulty levels has also been reduced.
This added the option to use chat from the game menu and create invite-only waiting rooms, as well as on the game loading screen, and numerous issues were also resolved. Players also enthusiastically welcomed the removal of the mission modifier, which reduced the number of available Stratagems.
We encourage you to familiarize yourself with the full list of changes on Discord or Reddit, as well as with the post of the devs posted on Steam.
Players eagerly started testing the new version of Helldivers 2 and so far have received the patch with enthusiasm. Naturally, it's still premature to come to a definitive conclusion, but it appears that the update has renewed fans' trust in the developers, which was somewhat shaken after the events of April and May.
Let us remind you that the latest Warbond was released yesterday: Viper Commandos. They are somewhat different from the previous battle passes, because after the players' comments, the devs decided to focus more on the common theme of the content. Additionally, further Warbonds will appear less frequently.
