Helldivers 2 players get mixed signals around the Eruptor nerf as one dev calls the changes unintended and another says it's still "absolutely viable"

GamesThird Person ShooterHelldivers 2Helldivers 2 players get mixed signals around the Eruptor nerf as one dev calls the changes unintended and another says it’s still “absolutely viable"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

GamesThird Person ShooterHelldivers 2Helldivers 2 players get mixed signals around the Eruptor nerf as one dev calls the changes unintended and another says it’s still “absolutely viable"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Arrowhead Game Studios)

Helldivers 2

Helldivers 2players are getting mixed signals from developers after a recent patch indirectly nerfed a fan-favorite primary weapon.

The R-36 Eruptor was added to Helldivers 2 in theDemocratic Demolition Warbond, serving as a bulky marksman rifle that shoots explosive rounds, handy for clearing bug nests and bot fabricators. However, developerArrowhead Studios recently removed explosive shrapnelfrom the game to stop players from randomly one-shotting themselves or teammates with the Eruptor, a decision that’s nerfed the weapon’s damage output too.

One player hoped the team would “re-evaluate” the decision to remove explosive shrapnel in a message to the game’s Discord channel, to which community manager Thomas ‘Twinbeard’ Peterssonresponded: “We already are.” Twinbeard explained that the team noticed some changes “aren’t working as intended… that’s one of them.”

To make matters slightly more confusing, senior game designer Alex ‘Alexus’ Kravchenko put out a largely different statement on Discord, explaining that the Eruptor changes are working correctly. Kravchenko said that explosive shrapnel was removed because the team didn’t want accidental friendly fire to be a common side effect on a primary weapon, while also claiming the weapon is still viable as it is now.

Kravchenko continues that the Eruptors' consistent 40-damage output is a “good tradeoff” for dealing 100-damage randomly with the shrapnel: “I still strongly believe that the Eruptor benefits from dealing less damage more consistently.”

Players report that the Eruptor is particularly weak against medium-armored enemies now, and Kravchenko says the team is currently investigating that issue, but “won’t promise that it will definitely be buffed, as the weapon in its current state is absolutely viable.”

Nerfs have claimed multiple fan-favorite weapons victims sincea recent Helldivers 2 patchmade popular tools, including the Quasar Cannon and Exploding Crossbow, significantly weaker. Head of product testing Patrik Lasota previously said the"Don’t Nerf, Only Buff"balancing philosophy is “not a great idea,” which might explain why half my arsenal gets ignored.

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A Helldivers 2 community manager was recently fired after encouraging negative reviews amid the PSN debacle: “I knew I was taking a risk with what I said.”

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Shadow brandishes a gun in Sonic The Hedgehog 3

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1

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3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”

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4

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4

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