Helldivers 2 weapon rebalancing to get massive buff with studio’s new Chief Creative Officer

If you’ve been playing Arrowhead Game Studios hit shooter Helldivers 2 since launch, you may have been keeping up to date with the latest events surrounding the game. Recently, Johan Pilestedt, AGS’s former CEO, transitioned to the role of Chief Creative Officer, giving him more room to focus on, well, the creative side of Helldivers 2. And, based on one Twitter/X post following his appointment as CCO, Pilestedt will be paying more attention to one in-game aspect, in particular: weapon rebalancing.

Since opening day, several Helldivers 2 weapons have received significant reworks in each patch, with some earning more praise than others. Over on Reddit, however, the consensus has largely been negative, with players constantly calling out developer AGS for constantly “nerfing everything.” Weapon buffs, on the other hand, have consistently been labeled “meaningless and inconsequential,” with the hits each gun takes outweighing the supposed improvements provided.

Very good question. First thing we got to do is ensure we get more devs time playing the game. It's hard to make the right decisions if the eyes aren't on the road.

Secondly, I want to ensure we actively look at the sentiment and create a holistic view of WHY feedback is given.…

— Pilestedt (@Pilestedt) May 22, 2024

It’s also worth noting that Pilestedt mentioned the game’s TTK as “being too high,” which means significant changes are likely on the horizon for weapon damage, armor penetration, and rate of fire. As an avid assault rifle/SMG user myself, this is one improvement I’m particularly looking forward to, especially against the frustratingly beefy Automatons.

Now, since Pilestedt was only recently appointed as Chief Creative Officer and the first patch under his watchful eye yet to drop, the jury remains out on whether he can turn things around on the weapon rebalancing front. But with the former studio CEO/producer/lead designer taking a more hands-on approach with the game and community, it can only mean good things for the future of Helldivers 2 in general.

Before you drop in to take on another mission for Managed Democracy, check out our guide on how to emote in Helldivers 2 so you can eliminate each enemy and extract in style.