As Helldivers 2 Steam struggles continue dev hints big weapon change

Helldivers 2 is missing one crucial detail from the original: multiple weapon loadouts. Whether you’re coming up against bugs or bots, easily having a loadout to equip is something many of us want, and Arrowhead has heard our cries. This doesn’t mean the feature will definitely be added, but amid declining Steam player numbers I’m holding out hope.

As the number of active Helldivers 2 players continues to decline, Arrowhead is noticing the talk among players who want multiple loadouts. Currently, you need to pick all your Helldivers 2 weapons and stratagems every time you start a match, but the team is aware players want to save their choices in the co-op game, making it easier to jump straight into the action.

“Things are subject to change,” community manager Thomas ‘Twinbeard’ Petersson says in response to questions about saved loadouts. “It’s a live-service game after all. We’ll continue to monitor this as it’s a frequent request.

“I know that one of the reasons behind it is that we want to have players try out and use as much of the equipment as possible, and loadouts might hamper that. However, one could also argue that players are curious. They try stuff and if they like something they will use it. If I recall correctly though I think there’s more to this decision. It was a long time since I asked anyone about it, so [it] might be time to revisit or ask about the reasoning behind it.”

I completely empathize with Arrowhead on this one, as loadouts are a double-edged sword. The original Helldivers has three loadout slots – one for the Terminids, Automatons, and Illuminate – but the sequel has no such feature. Instead, you need to manually swap your weapons and scroll through all the stratagems to pick what you want to use.

Every time I look at the stratagem and weapons list I am tempted to change things up, but I also know what works for me, and easily having a few different options on hand would make the game much simpler. I’ve picked both the Guard Dog and Autocannon far too many times, only to realize I can’t have the ammo and drone on me at once. So some sort of loadout feature that warns you about this would go a long way.

Arrowhead has a choice between ease of use and promoting experimentation, and it’s not a decision I envy. As a live-service game developer, Arrowhead has the Sisyphean task of balancing what it thinks is best against player requests, and this could determine whether or not Helldivers 2 sticks around.

There are also concerns Helldivers 2’s player count, which has dropped 90% on Steam since launch. This happens with every game, and Helldivers 2 is still pulling in over 30,000 a day on PC alone – but the numbers are dwindling. With a steady stream of patches constantly changing the meta and monthly Helldivers 2 Warbonds, many players, myself included, are hoping for something truly fresh.

The best Helldivers 2 stratagems and Helldivers 2 armor help you in any situation, no matter if you’re facing the Terminids or Automatons, so make sure you brush up on what to take into battle.

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