'Helldivers 2' nerfs its most annoying enemy

The latest Helldivers 2 patch has dialled back the Charger, a hulking, armoured Terminid that was causing too much trouble for players.

• READ MORE: Where to find and kill Bile Titans in ‘Helldivers 2’
  

Helldivers 2 features nine difficulty levels, with more varied and numerous foes spawning the higher up the chart players go. After a recent rebalancing patch, players were convinced that Chargers, a heavily armoured and suprisingly agile foe, were spawning too frequently. Developer Arrowhead Game Studios has released new patch notes outlining several ways in which Chargers have been made easier to deal with.

Firstly, their spawn rate has been reduced on difficulty level seven and above; the same for Bile Titans, the colossal acid-spewing arachnids. Arrowhead was quick to point out that this doesn’t mean there will be fewer enemies as others will take their place — instead, the focus is on reducing the number of heavily armoured enemies to ensure squads have the right balance of Terminids to deal with.

Secondly, the amount of health a Charger’s head has is being reduced; now, “a well-placed shot from a Recoilless Rifle or EAT-17 instantly kills a charger.” Anti-tank weapons are an essential part of any squad’s composition at higher difficulties, but they still sometimes feel ineffective.

The Recoilless Rifle and EAT-17 both had their armour-penetrating capabilities improved last patch, and though it was unnoted at the time, shots to the body and legs will take a Charger down faster than before. These changes should ensure these weapons work how players feel they should, rather than glancing off these behemoths harmlessly.

Arrowhead CEO Johan Pilestedt recently apoolgised for comments made by a Helldivers 2 developer on Reddit and Discord moderator in the game’s community server. He stated action would be taken to ensure team mebers were properly educated in regard to how to communicate and represent the studio.