Iconic Helldivers 2 stratagem used to be so destructive it would destroy the game 

As far as multiplayer games go, Helldivers 2 is one of the most hectic as four players throw out destructive stratagems to devastate their enemies. With massive urban environments and speedy vehicles recently added to the game, there’s more destruction than ever before.

However, it turns out that one of the most iconic stratagems in the game — the awesome Eagle Strafing Run — had to be nerfed during development to stop the game from lagging. 

Helldivers 2 had a more powerful strafing run

Revealed by Arrowhead COO Johan Pilestedt, the Eagle Strafing Run stratagem had “the exact same stats of the A10 GAU-8”, a real-life Gatling gun fired from jets designed to decimate tanks. 

As explained in a further comment on Reddit, every hit from the attack would also deform the ground, leaving massive craters from each collision. 

All of this resulted in a weapon that would slow the game down to a crawl. With a rapid fire rate and every “1-in-5” hits being an explosive round, the stratagem was hell for the game’s servers and had to be heavily nerfed. 

Nevertheless, the Eagle Strafing Run is still one of the best stratagems in the game and can deal some massive damage. It’s also an incredibly versatile tool, as long as your friends don’t throw it into the base you’re already attempting to ransack. 

With some internal limitations to stop the game from destroying itself, it’s incredible that Helldivers 2 is still able to pull off some extraordinarily impressive devastation with its stratagems. From the demolition of an Eagle 500KG Bomb to the haunting Orbital Laser, HD2 destruction is a feast for the eyes. 

For more coverage of Arrowhead’s multiplayer masterpiece, check out why the studio doesn’t have “final say” on the upcoming movie, or which singular actor the devs want to appear when it releases. You can also check out our game of the year list where we granted the title “Best Multiplayer” of 2024.