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As the first big Helldivers 2 patch of Arrowhead's 60-day plan wins back divers, the shooter's creative director agrees that 'nerfing is an unimaginative way of tweaking a game'

Helldivers 2's first major patch, part of a 60-day plan to improve the game, has significantly buffed weapons and nerfed enemy strength, leading to positive player feedback. Arrowhead is also planning a new difficulty for those seeking a greater challenge.

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Helldivers 2's first grand onslaught of buffs to make the game fun again is here, forming just part of developer Arrowhead's 60-day plan to return to the third-person shooter to surer footing. Now that the dust on the warmly received Helldivers 2 patch is settling, creative director Johan Pilestedt agrees that, when it comes to damage, "nerfing is an unimaginative way of tweaking a game."

Following the patch's launch, Pilestedt has taken to Twitter to see what fans are making of the new state of the game. One fan says this should have come four months ago, to which Pilestedt agrees. That prompted another to humbly request that Arrowhead doesn't nerf the goodness they've just returned to the game.

"Agree," he replies. "Especially when it comes to damage; nerfing is an unimaginative way of tweaking a game."

While most people are delighted about the game's current state, some are seeking a greater challenge than their array of buffed weapons and weaker enemies. Arrowhead has mentioned a new difficulty a few times but has reiterated that it's on the way for those who feel this way.

"It's because it just didn't feel enjoyable or believable to hit a Charger with an RR and it brushing it off," Pilestedt says. "We are going to look at the challenge of the game for those high-tier players, it's in the pipe."

So far, so good for Helldivers 2's recovery efforts. Divers have been given a new major order to let those new weapons rip in while Arrowhead cooks up what's next, which isn't far away. In the patch notes revealed the other day, the developer revealed that we're getting another balance patch as part of the studio's 60-day plan. It would appear, then, that this is only the start.

By the way, the early hero of Helldivers 2's big September 17 update is the Thermite Grenade, which Arrowhead buffed from 100 to 2,000 democracy-delivering explosion damage.