Helldivers 2 Players Aren't Happy With New Warbond. Devs Face Weeks of Delays Due to PSN Issues
The issue of the PSN account requirement cost a lot of time for the developers of Helldivers 2, still overwhelmed by the huge launch. Now the devs are asking if players like the latest Warbond.
The commotion surrounding Sony's decision and the restriction of access to the game in 180 countries hasn't pleased the Helldivers 2 players. The team at Arrowhead Game Studios also has cause for complaint, as the situation with the PSN has resulted in delays for the studio, which is already grappling with the unexpected success of its game.
Thomas "Twinbeard" Petersson mentioned on the HD2 Discord that the studio was overwhelmed with pressure after the title's phenomenal launch. We have known for a long time that Arrowhead absolutely didn't expect that the Helldivers 2 would attract such crowds of players. That's why we had problems joining the game - the developers had to expand the server capacity multiple times before they could accommodate all the players who wanted to join.
PSN and delay
However, even now, three months after the release of the second installment, AHG still hasn't "bounced back" enough to operate under such pressure. As Twinbeard admitted, the team is also overwhelmed by the number of comments, opinions, suggestions, and the "sentiment" of the players. Let's remember that - according to the latest information - the game channel on Discord has a million users, and Helldivers 2 has sold over 12 million copies.
Let's add to this the confusion around PSN, which caused some devs to lose their "working week" and are only now returning to normal work. Furthermore, the matter isn't resolved - Helldivers 2 has yet to be made available again in many countries after the game's access was blocked prior to Sony reversing its previous decision.
That's why the developer's responses to certain issues with HD2 are "slow" (aside from the fact that even "simple" video game problems can sometimes be surprisingly difficult to resolve). However, the dev assured that the team isn't just "learning" to cope with this situation, but also hiring more employees (although probably not too many).
Persson added that the team plans "vlogs, streams, interviews, social events, competitions" and many other attractions that will also improve communication with fans.
Polar Patriots with a chilly reception
One of the recent changes we could notice is the surveys conducted by Arrowhead Game Studios, including those on the topic of Warbonds. A channel has been created on Discord for Helldivers 2, where all future votes will be posted. First, the developers asked players for their opinions on the latest battle pass: Polar Patriots.
In theory, it can be assumed that the arctic Warbond didn't delight the fans. 45% of more than 52,000 Discord users didn't approve of the warbond content. Only 3% of voters (just under 1700 people) have no objections to the latest warbonds.
However, it's worth noting that the other three options also have some positive aspects. Some players despite everything still liked Polar Patriots, but they are anticipating more items in upcoming passes or criticizing the limited connection of content with the polar theme. After receiving criticism, the majority of people (27% / over 14,000) believe that Warbond is "ok," but they would prefer more regular updates.
Balance a threat to warbonds?
Regarding the reasons for complaints about the content, in addition to the mentioned issue of the theme, many players believe that the guns in Polar Patriots are simply too weak or uninteresting. Some fans even joke - referring to the controversial gameplay balance - that the new gadgets were nerfed in advance (via Reddit).
For the same reason, many buyers are hesitant to invest in Warbonds - they fear that their purchased item will be nerfed and either become too weak in fighting off enemies of Democracy, or, like Eruptor, lose its unique qualities.
Considering these fears as unfounded is difficult. However, it's worth recalling that the devs have promised changes in their approach to balancing the gameplay in Helldivers 2 in the future.
By the way, another update has been released for Helldivers 2. It's a very small patch, although no one is likely to complain about further stability improvements, such as eliminating bugs that force the game to close (via Discord / website X).
