Helldivers 2 players receive Quasar Cannon and Heavy Machine Gun Stratagems to support Automaton obliteration

Mere days after Arrowhead’s CEO coyly teased the Heavy Machine Gun, it fell into Helldivers 2 players’ collectives laps this morning. And it’s not alone. Helldivers 2 got two new Stratagems today: The Heavy Machine Gun and Quasar Cannon.

The weapons appeared in players’ arsenals seemingly to assist them with the current Major Order. Operation Swift Disassembly sicced thousands upon thousands of Helldivers on Automaton-controlled worlds in what is apparently Super Earth’s attempt to curtail their expansion toward Cyberstan.

Players will find the two new Support Weapons available for purchase in the Stratagem menu on their Super Destroyer ships. The MG-206 Heavy Machine Gun is going for 6,000 Requisition Slips, and you can take the LAS-99 Quasar Cannon home for 7,500. Both boast unlimited uses and a 480-second cooldown time.

The two weapons are geared toward turning bots into smoldering scrap, but so far players are mostly singing the praises of just one.

The Heavy Machine Gun Stratagem joins Helldivers 2, but players are keen on another

The Quasar Cannon seems to be taking the Helldivers 2 community by storm, and for good reason. Players have been excitedly sharing footage of the laser-based cannon effortlessly swatting Automaton dropships from the skies. The weapon seems to tear through Hulks with only a couple of blasts, and it can even knock down bot Fabricators. The Autocannon and EAT-17 may have finally met their better, and the Railgun will likely fall even lower on the tier list.

On the other hand, the HMG is proving to be a tough sell. The incredible recoil, along with the lack of a third-person reticle, makes the gun an absolute bear to control when shooting from the hip. Crouching or going prone helps, you need to change to first person for a more accurate shot. But its unwieldy nature and 75-round drum means you have to be careful when blasting enemies.

I took the HMG to Troost and found that pulse firing earned me at least a couple of Berserker kills before I ran out of shots and got swarmed. Changing the firing mode to a lower RPM and hitting the dirt helps but, man, this is a beast of a weapon. I recommend taking an ammo pack because you’ll run out before you know it.