Helldivers 2 dev teases higher difficulty setting with “other similar options”

There is a lot going on in the world of Helldivers 2 thanks to a fanbase that is jubilant once more. The most recent update has brought players back in swarms, and HD2 is thriving with a player count that has tripled from its lowest of lows. Fans have a lot to anticipate for the future, and the Helldivers 2 developer is teasing a higher difficulty setting with “other similar options”.

We have another patch to anticipate for HD2, although there’s no specific ETA for when it will arrive. While we don’t know when it will come out, we do know buffs are on the way for the jump pack as well as the purifier. In addition, the Arrowhead CCO, Pilestedt, has given the thumbs up to the community’s idea for reworking the extraction booster.

While buffs have been a huge part in pleasing the fanbase, some feel that the challenge has been removed from the highest tiers. Arrowhead are fully aware of this, and they may already be working on a higher difficulty setting.

Arrowhead might be “working on” Helldivers 2 higher difficulty setting

Although the influx of massive buffs has brought life back to Helldivers 2, there are some who feel that, while the buffs are great, any semblance of a challenge has been removed. Recently, Arrowhead CCO and HD2 creative director, Pilestedt, has agreed with fans that a harder difficulty mode is needed, but not through nerfing weapons.

Following up on Pilestedt’s response to fans on X, community manager, Twinbeard, has been responding to players through Discord. A lot of the community appears worried that a higher difficulty will arrive through nerfing weapons, but that is not going to happen as previously stated by Pilestedt and now Twinbeard.

Twinbeard said, “We’ll try to please players who really want to be challenged by introducing either a higher diff. setting and/or other similar options such as missions with pre set conditions, getting achievements/resources/etc for beating missions without dying, in X time or sth similar”.

In addition, the community manager elaborated “that it’s easier and wiser to introduce more difficult options for those who want a stiffer challenge, than nerfing broadly again. For an overwhelming percentage the game is the best it’s ever been right now, and we’ll be very careful when introducing changes now, especially more substantial ones”.

As for how a higher difficulty could be implemented, Twinbeard said there are a ton of parameters Arrowhead can tweak such as “dmg, hp, durability, enemy numbers, weather, modifier, weapon stats etc.”. Lastly, even though a higher difficulty setting isn’t confirmed, the community manager teased “maybe we’re working on it already”.

For more Helldivers 2, check out our guide to the best warbonds ranked, along with the best stratagems and best throwables. We also have a guide to the best weapons, and, if you’re coming back to HD2 for the first time in a long while, we have a bunch of tips and tricks to help you get reaccustomed to the battlefield.