Helldivers 2 dev responds to flamethrower rage, introduces a player feedback form

Recent changes to the Flamethrower have left the Helldivers 2 community a bit hot under the collar. The Escalation of Freedom update included altered the beloved weapon’s lethality, leading to outrage on social media (again). Arrowhead has since responded, directing players to a feedback form.

Arrowhead’s Katherine “Baskinator” Baskin shared a message today that assured the team wasn’t ignoring the outcry of disappointment from its vocal fans. Baskin promised that the team has “heard [player] feedback,” and is in discussions.

“We have heard your feedback about our change to fire and how it has affected flamethrowers, and we appreciate our community’s continued honesty about how they feel about Helldivers 2,” Baskin writes. “We’re now having a lot of internal discussions about the best course of action.”

Tell it to the feedback form

Baskin followed up with another post, this time directing players to a Player Feedback Form. According to her, Arrowhead doesn’t “want your thoughts and feelings to be lost in the channels,” but is having difficulty keeping up with the deluge of messages.

Players can use the form to submit any thoughts, concerns, or suggestions, but there are some guidelines. You can only submit once per week, and “non-constructive and toxic submissions” will get binned. Arrowhead asks that feedback remain short and to the point, and focused on thoughts and opinions only. Here’s the link if you’re looking to share your thoughts.

Burning passions

For those unaware, some of the louder folks in the Helldivers 2 community are once more feeling a bit burned over recent weapon changes. The Escalation of Freedom update dished out some premium buffs. But it also nerfed the fan-favorite Flamethrower, removing its ability to pierce armor to make it behave “realistically.” In a game that includes difficulty ranks that toss armored Chargers at you like a swarm of pissed-off hornets, people are naturally upset at potentially losing a great offensive option.

Since the update dropped on August 6, community members on Discord and the Helldivers 2 subreddit have been voicing their outrage. Players have accused Arrowhead of needless weapon nerfs over the months, pointing to the Railgun and Eruptor as examples. Helldivers 2 on Steam has once again been review-bombed and now sits at a “Mixed” rating.

Whether or not you agree with the changes is subjective. Frankly, it’s good seeing Arrowhead respond with a feedback form. Hopefully, it’ll mean the developer won’t have to make two review bomb capes this year instead of the one.