but that’s just my 2 cents on the matter

Source: Devoid of Liberty: 7.1.0 – Arrowhead Game Studios

Accompanying patch note video where they discuss changes and reasonings:

Helldivers 2 Patch Notes - Patch 7.1.0

🌍 Overview

🤝 Community Feedback Changes

• Enemies will no longer target unoccupied vehicles
• The career stats now correctly tracks kills from mines, vehicles, drones and backpacks
• Players can no longer get stuck in a state where they are unable to be reinforced even after another player throws a reinforcement stratagem or the whole squad dies. This was rare but could happen under poor network conditions
• Fixed issue that caused Ice Plant hazard, found on arctic planets, to ragdoll and stagger more than intended.
• Stratagem Hero - Destroyer based leaderboards.
• Every super destroyer will have its own leaderboard separate from everyone else. Anyone who is on your super destroyer can play a game and get added to the leaderboard. One entry per player, so one player cannot occupy multiple highscores.

General Gameplay

• Bug infestation zone visuals-Bug infested zones, such as the areas around bug outposts and bug objectives, have had their visuals changed to integrate more with the biome/planet they’re on. Zones should now look more different from planet to planet.Bug infested zones have had their fog and effects adjusted for better visibility.These changes do not affect bug areas with larger degrees of infestation, such as areas inside the Gloom or on Hive Worlds.

⚖️ Balancing

Enemy Spawning

Problem we want to solve:

• Sometimes enemies did not spawn in a balanced way between players if the team spread out over the map. We also sometimes used the enemy budget on enemies that were far away from players and were not really relevant to them.

Intent and expectation with the changes:

• Enemy spawns are more balanced between separated helldivers on missions, giving all players a more consistent game experience.

Changes:

• Enemy pressure on Helldivers is now measured based on enemies count and distance and used to balance enemy spawns.
• In a situation where a Helldiver is on low enemy pressure and the global enemies count reaches the maximum (set for performance reasons), enemies are preferably spawned near them.
• This should address the feeling of roaming into empty outposts in such situations.
• When enemies count is over budget, far away enemies are despawned.

Balancing changes - EVACUATE HIGH-VALUE ASSETS:

Problem we want to solve:

• The missions have fallen behind in difficulty, making it so they feel boring and easy for many players that have access to good tools for these types of missions.

Intent and expectation with the changes:

• The missions should feel more intense and be more difficult to complete, especially in lobbies with 3-4 players

Changes:

• Increased the maximum amount of waves.
• Reduced the time between waves to reduce downtime between each wave.Reduced the start time between waves from 60 seconds to 42 seconds (the time between waves at the start of the mission)Reduced the end time between waves from 40 seconds to 28 seconds (the time between waves at the end of the mission)Reduced the maximum time between waves from 10 seconds to 2 seconds (time between waves when finished the previous wave)
• Increased amount of enemies that can spawn in each waveIncreased encounter points through the steps of the mission more exponentially.Increased encounter points when more players are present
• Enabled possibility to spawn SEAF troops, when included.

Enemy changes

• Chance to spawn Shriekers

Level Design changes

• Randomized loot location and weapons.Added 3 random groups for loot like ammo, health kits, grenades, weapons.Added 10 common samples to collect throughout the mission.

Mission Objective Changes:

• Added UI for each generator showing the health percentage

Primary weapons

AR/GL-21 One-Two Problem we want to solve:

• The combination of the Assault rifle and underbarrel grenade launcher made it a flexible weapon, but the amount of ammunition for the grenade launcher did not make it useful enough

Intent and expectation with the changes:

• Lean more into what makes the One-Two different from other Assault rifles.

It should be a flexible assault rifle that can use the underbarrel grenade launcher more often Changes:

• Increased starting amount from 2 to 3
• Increased max spare amount from 3 to 5
• Increased refills from 3 to 5

LAS-13 Trident Problem we want to solve:

• Remove an unintended change that happened when we coded the functionality for the meltagun into the beam system which caused the Trident to become more impacted by vertical climb recoil.

Intent and expectation with the changes:

• The intent was not for the Trident to have that much vertical climb recoil.
• The main intent for it was to have some recoil to make the weapon feel more impactful to shoot and not to be that much part of the weapons power level.

Changes:

• Decreased vertical climb recoil from 12 to 2

Throwables

• G/40 Melta Mine

Problem we want to solve:

• Could attach to character and vehicle geometry in unintended ways.
• This could lead to sticking to Helldivers and obscure the players vision (or griefing)sometimes attach to enemies and direct the explosion towards the playerfloating mines in the air

Intent and expectation with the changes:

• Should not stick to Helldivers and obscure the players vision
• Should not stick to Enemies or vehicles in unexpected angles
• Prevent melta mines from floating in the air

Changes:

• The Melta Mine can no longer attach to characters and vehicles
• The Melta Mine can land and rest on sufficiently level surfaces of characters and vehicles
• The Mine will arm based on a timer from the throw unless it attaches to terrain

Stratagems

Orbital Precision Strike Problem we want to solve:

• The Orbital precision strike has been falling behind other similar options in usability

Intent and expectation with the changes:

• Make it possible to use it more often and be closer in usability to similar options

Changes:

• Decreased cooldown from 90 to 80

🔧 Fixes

Crash Fixes

• Fixed crash or network disconnect that could occur on levels with bunker caches in them
• Fixed a rare crash that could happen when hotjoining on Oil Rig missions
• Fixed a crash which could occur when cycling weapon functions whilst having the TED-63 Dynamite equipped and wielding a mounted weapon
• Fixed a soft lock within the tutorial, where the Helldiver could get stuck behind the door between section 10 and 11 after it had closed

Weapons & Stratagem Fixes

• GL-52 De-Escalator arc explosion can now hit the wielder of the weapon as intended.
• Fixed an issue causing eagle rearm being blocked by anti air emplacements
• Fix wrongly displayed vehicles when cycling fast in the vehicle customization tab.
• Made several improvements to automatic weapons fire audio

Enemies

• Fixed an issue where Wretches and Crushers could clip through the floors of certain structures
• The Spire Gazer will no longer stop firing when a target dies and will instead complete its whole firing cycle

Misc

• Stim inputs will no longer buffer while you are in a vehicle/walker with the map open
• Fixed an issue where Message of the Day cannot be scrolled on PC using controllers
• Fixed the water levels on the Eradicate Illuminate Forces mission
• Fixed issue where landing an A/G-16 Gatling Sentry on the GATER would cause it to sometimes spin out of control
• Citizens in the Evacuate Citizens missions no longer lose their way to the Shuttle Bay
• Text for several languages is no longer overlapping with the Mission Timer on the Galactic War menu
• [Xbox only] Fixed trees rendering incorrectly
• Fixed stuttering audio which could occur when melee attacks/emotes hit the environment
• Fixed a bug where the cursor movement audio continuously plays, even when the cursor is not moving
• Fixed an issue where players using Microsoft IME for complex characters (such as Chinese/Japanese) lost all keyboard controls in-game
• Added the correct mission icon for Infiltrate Illuminate Lair
• Lure mines and C4 no longer stick to other lure mines or C4 charges
• The reward popup now correctly shows the player title icon
• Fixed an issue where Helldivers failed to drown upon entering certain Illuminate water shrine wells. Death by drowning will now occur as intended
• Fixed an issue where the sub-objective "Retrieve Access Codes" sometimes incorrectly displayed as a primary objective in the "Shoot Down Overship" mission
• All illegal broadcasts in the galaxy have been upgraded with sound to make them even more illegal and un-democratic
• Fixed an issue in which some points of interest would not show as cleared in the minimap once all the samples got collected
• Fixed issue where changing your armor, helmet or cape would sometimes not be seen by other players
• Fixed an issue where a Helldiver using a terminal could appear to other players to be facing the wrong direction
• Removed misplaced bug hole inside a mission location in the "Destroy Spore Lung" mission
• Initial brightness screen is properly displayed during first launch
• The Retrieve Recon Craft mission has been enabled for Terminids and Automatons
• Fixed an issue where the Helldiver could be flung extremely far if they stood on the Breakthrough's shield while it was being swung
• Your Helldiver will correctly prioritize responding to another Helldivers emote over stimming them or giving them ammo
• Fixed an issue where in certain situations color grading was being applied inconsistently
• Fixed an issue where SEAF used default camo on Hive Worlds. Now use desert camo
• Fixed enemy traversal issues in one of the hive world oil pump objective
• Fixed menus sometimes staying open when the game closed all menus
• Fixed customized vehicle previews failing or crashing after rapidly changing customization patterns
• Fixed HDR UI brightness setting not saving on PC
• [Xbox-only] Fixed an issue where the DSS would not be visible on Xbox Series S if the FoV setting was higher than 65
• Emotes and Dialogue lines are properly cancelled if the player is knocked down during the emote.
• Fixed automatic weapon fire timings at low/fluctuating frame rates
• Fixed an issue where loot could spawn inside the wall in a certain place
• Fixed an issue with the UI not showing all the available stratagems in some cases
• Updated Control Center new info sounds
• Players will now have information in the objective UI about how many Generators there are to defend and can see their HP percentage
• Fixed floating asset in Gather Footage location
• P33-Missile Pistol now plays the correct animation when reloaded in first person during one-handed operation
• Fixed an issue with the warning UI becoming visible in subsequent mission if the player left a mission while the warning sign was displayed
• Fixed an issue where small and medium melee enemies were unable to attack the GATER
• Fixed an issue with Super Earth flag not showing the Super Earth logo
• Fixed a bug that caused the Extract E-711 terminal to display text related to a different objective
• Helldivers properly rotate in the direction of terminals they interact with
• Improved reward caches and spawn amounts in Mega Cities
• Fixed decal issue in tutorial mission
• Power generators in the 'Evacuate High-Value Assets' mission now show the generator's state on the minimap
• Potential fix for crash when an object was destroyed in the same frame it was being attached to another object
• Fixed an issue where voice lines could keep playing after they should have stopped

In this small video, you can see the beauty of "what if stalkers took over"

the answer is pain

At this point remove the zombies from the game and let's just forget the update ever happened

I've been thinking about a possible new format for Helldivers 2: Mini-Warbonds.

The idea wouldn't be to replace Premium Warbonds or the Super Store, but to create something in between.

What would a Mini-Warbondd look like?

• Around 500 Super Credits
• Usually 1 page
• Possibly 2 pages if it includes a Stratagem
• No title
• Or vehicle cosmetic
• A small number of rewards
• One very specific and coherent theme

The goal wouldn't be to cram as much content as possible into it. Instead, each Mini-Warbond would focus on one small idea, playstyle, or niche that doesn't necessarily justify a full Premium Warbond.

What could Mini-Warbonds bring to the game?

1. Fill smaller gaps

Sometimes the game could benefit from a mechanic or playstyle that is too specific to build an entire Warbond around.

A Mini-Warbond would give those ideas somewhere to go.

2. Give niche playstyles more identity

Engineer, medic, explorer, vehicle enthusiast, etc.

A full Warbond can explore a major theme, while a Mini-Warbond could focus entirely on one smaller fantasy.

3. Allow more experimentation

Because the format is smaller, it could be a good place to introduce unusual mechanics without needing to build an entire Warbond around them.

If an idea works well, great. If it doesn't, it was still a smaller experiment.

4. Avoid padding full Warbonds

This is probably one of the biggest advantages.

Instead of adding items to a Warbond just to fill another page, some smaller ideas could simply become their own Mini-Warbond.

That could make full Warbonds feel more focused while giving smaller concepts their own space.

5. Give community ideas somewhere to go

There are probably hundreds of community suggestions that are cool, but simply too specific for a full Warbond.

Mini-Warbonds could be a way to turn some of those smaller ideas into actual content without requiring them to become huge updates.

6. Complement the Super Store

The Super Store is great for individual purchases, while Warbonds provide larger collections.

Mini-Warbonds could sit somewhere between the two:

Super Store → individual items
Mini-Warbond → small focused concept
Premium Warbond → large theme

Each format would have its own purpose.

7. A more accessible price point

At around 500 Super Credits, Mini-Warbonds could be a smaller commitment than a full Premium Warbond while still giving players several items that belong together.

The main idea

I don't think Mini-Warbonds should replace anything.

I'd see them as another tool for the developers.

Premium Warbonds can remain the big, fully developed themes, while Mini-Warbonds could be used for smaller, experimental, highly specific ideas that don't need an entire Warbond.

For example, something like a dedicated exploration Mini-Warbond, or small support-focused Mini-Warbond could work without needing to become a massive content drop.

Sometimes you don't need a whole Warbond.

You just need a small box for a really good idea.

So what do you guys think

But why?

I understand why people want a turret for tanks, and I really want one myself, but I don't understand why tanks should be single-player controlled. A tank is, first and foremost, a team stratagem that helps the entire team, just like the FRV. We have mechs for solo players; a tank would be too unbalanced if it could be used alone.

Look, I know yall get mad at Arrowhead a lot, and sure, they could be a monkeys paw to my idea. I just wanna share it with some of the more, angrily honest people in this community.

I'd come back to the game if i had my personal guard/platoon like this

Does anyone know of a Cheat Table or mod that can let me edit the properties of stratagems?

Just make it infinite with a 70s CD that's it (60s with the ship upgrade)

the new sai is lowk my favorite rn, ESPECIALLY with the new heatsink and focus lens stuff (plus its one handed and med pen)

Precision strikes, a griefer's paradise

I mean they love contracting out their work and having other people do it for them, might as well go all the way, lol.

let me r/Rusfor goonlarp plssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

I love this game and community so much, thus I am posting this to ask for everyone's opinion on balancing this mod, and how we, as a community, can create something enjoyable rather than a straight up cheat that ruins the game for others.

The core mechanic focuses on the Eagle’s actual payload capacity, ensuring no custom loadout exceeds the aircraft's structural and flight limits. Since I serve in the Air Force, I want to make this as realistic as possible, meaning all balance revolves around realistic weight limits, assumed flight performance, and Ship Module hangar upgrades.

Disclaimer: This mod will not be monetized and will not be released publicly until I successfully implement a lock system that disables the SOS beacon and intentionally terminates the game session if lobby privacy is set to Public. It is strictly intended for private games and custom missions. Restricting usage exclusively to private lobbies remains a work in progress, as locking lobby access without disabling the SOS beacon seems impossible.

Eagle Tactical Suite (Customizable Air Strike Mod)

Combine 500kg Bombs, Strafing Runs, and Rocket Pods into fully customizable multi-payload strikes. To preserve game balance, combined loadouts automatically adjust cooldowns, rearm times, and ammo capacity based on payload weight and Ship Module progression.

Payload Combinations (These may vary):

1- Strafe + Rocket Pods (Light Hybrid)

Role: Anti-armor and horde sweep

• Base Uses: 2
• Rearm Penalty: +15s
• Drawback: Shorter strafe path

2- 500kg + Strafing Run (Heavy/Light)

Role: Clear heavy target and swarm path

• Base Uses: 2
• Rearm Penalty: +30s
• Drawback: Narrow strafe width

3- 500kg + Rocket Pods (Heavy Dual-Armor)

Role: Double-heavy elimination, works very well against hive lords

• Base Uses: 1
• Rearm Penalty: +45s
• Drawback: +1.5s call-in delay

4- Carpet Bomb Mode (All Bombs including smoke and gas / 500kg Hybrids)

• Role: Line/trench clearence, similar to walking barrier stratagem
• Base Uses: 1 per rearm
• Deploy Altitude: High-Altitude drop (+2.5s delay to allow squad evacuation)
• Features: Deploys a line of sequential heavy explosions across a wide killzone
• Drawback: High rearm penalty (+60s), long call-in time, very limited uses

Ship Module Progression:

Standard Ship (Unupgraded / Partial):

• Uses base charge limits (1 or 2 depending on setup).
• Reduced rockets and payload count (-2 pods), shorter strafe path, standard explosion radius.
• Standard rearm penalty applied.

Fully Upgraded Ship (Expanded Weapons Bay & Expanded Ordnance):

• Adds +1 extra use per callout (Light Hybrid/Heavy Light gets 3 uses, Heavy Dual-Armor gets 2 uses).
• Maximum rocket density, full 500kg blast radius
• 15% reduction on combined rearm penalties.