Helldivers 2 Bumps Up Level Cap, Adds New Planetary Hazards And Automaton Enemies

Arrowhead Studios just rolled out another balance patch for Helldivers 2 that includes some noteworthy adjustments to weapons, progression, and gameplay in general, including a level cap increase from 50 to 150.

The update fixed Arc Thrower charge times to one second, reduced its range from 50 meters to 25, and increased its stagger force. The team also increased the damage of the Anti-Materiel Rifle, Incendiary Breaker Shotgun, Dominator, buffed up the Diligence Counter Sniper’s armor penetration from light to medium, and added a full auto mode for the Liberator Penetrator.

Some weapons have also been nerfed, however, including the Slugger Shotgun which has had its damage, stagger, and demolition force reduced. The Heavy Machine Gun’s fire rate has also been reduced from 1200 to 950 rounds-per-minute.

The good news is that Arrowhead also tuned down the damage of several annoying bugs. Chargers now do less melee damage against exosuits, Shriekers can no longer create bug breaches and now do significantly less damage when they’re dead, while Bile Spewers and Nursing Spewers have had their puke damage reduced. On the flip side, Bile Titan’s can no longer be stunned so its best to keep your distance going forward.

Players can also expect to see new Automaton enemies wreaking havoc on the battlefield after Arrowhead quietly added AT-AT-like walking tanks and flying gunships. The heavily armored walking tanks are reportedly resistant to heavy ordinance and deploy Devastators in their wake.

To sow even more chaos, the team also added new planetary hazards in the form of blizzards and sandstorms, which Joel will likely be using to full effect at the most inconvenient time.

You can check out the full patch notes on the Helldivers 2 Steam page.