Patch Notes – 01.000.400
The new Helldivers 2 balancing patch is here, releasing alongside the new Warbond. This update brings over 100 changes and fixes to the game. One of the most requested changes is that Invite-Only lobbies are now supported. Here’s everything you need to know about Patch 1.000.400, including what’s been buffed, nerfed, and changed:
Stratagems
The rocket sentry has been improved with several key changes. The spread has been reduced, enhancing its accuracy, and it now prioritizes larger targets. Rockets have an extended range and fire one at a time, improving ammo efficiency. The explosion radius has been quadrupled, but the explosions no longer damage heavy enemies. However, the rocket projectile itself has heavy armor penetration, and its damage was increased.
Projectile damage: 200 -> 300.
Cooldown 180s -> 120s
The Machine Gun, Gatling, Rocket, Autocannon, Mortar, and EMS Mortar Sentries:
Durability 0% -> 80%
The Machine Gun Sentry, Gatling Sentry, and the Gatling gun on the EXO-45 Patriot Exosuit:
Projectile Damage: 80 -> 90
Projectile Damage vs Durable Parts: 7.5% -> 25%
Increased rotation speed by 100%
Explosion Damage: 250 -> 350
Explosion Damage: 150 -> 210
Fire Rate increased by 25%
Rounds fired per salvo: 30 -> 60
Armor Penetration: Medium -> Heavy
Cooldown: 80 -> 70
Cooldown: 100 -> 90
Call-in/Call-down time: 4s -> 2s
Cooldown: 120s -> 100s
+ Improved Targeting
+ Increased Projectile Armor Penetration
Projectile Damage: 600 -> 250
– Decreased Explosion Armor Penetration
Uses before Re-Arm: 3 -> 4
Armor Penetration: Medium -> Heavy
Primary, Secondary, and Support Weapons
Some enemies have Durable body parts that only receive a portion of base damage from projectiles. While your bullets won’t bounce off, they won’t inflict full damage either. Always aim for weak points!
Damage: 60 -> 95
Damage to Durable Body Parts: 10% -> 17%
Magazine Capacity 35 -> 30
Total Magazines: 10 -> 8
+ Stagger Strength has been increased
AR-23 Liberator and AX/AR-23 “Guard Dog”
Damage to Durable Body Parts: 10% -> 23%
AR-23 Liberator Concussive
Damage to Durable Body Parts: 23% -> 35%
Magazine Capacity: 25 -> 30
Damage to Durable Body Parts: 10% -> 20%
+Explosion Armor Penetration now matches the Projectile
+Crossbow bolts can now destroy Bug holes and Bot Fabricator buildings
+Medium Armor Penetration tag added
Explosive Damage: 350 -> 400
Projectile Armor Penetration: Light -> Medium
Explosion damage falloff decreased.
Damage: 420 -> 570
Damage to Durable Body Parts: 10% -> 25%
Damage to Durable Body Parts: 10% -> 23%
Damage: 80 -> 90
Damage to Durable Body Parts: 7.5% -> 25%
Reload Time: 4s -> 3.5s
Damage: 100 -> 150
Damage to Durable Body Parts: 23% -> 33%
Fire Rate: 450/750/900 -> 450/600/750
Reload Time: 7s -> 5.5s
+Stagger Strength has been increased
“We made changes to the recoil stance modifiers to make them more consistent and also reward being prone more. Almost all of them will improve the recoil and only a two have been made worse (and only by 10%).”
Enemies
-Heavily Armored Enemies spawn rate has decreased by 30%, so fewer Bile Titans, Chargers, and Hulks. However, the number of smaller enemies spawned has increased.
-Patrols have been reverted to their pre-01.000.300 spawn rates.
-Big nerfs to Enemy Acid and Fire. Acid from Nursing Spewers, Bile Spewers, Bile Titans, and Fire from Hulk Scorchers will only be able to damage you 4 times per second, and you can no longer take damage from the same projectile multiple times. Arrowhead changed this balance to reduce the number of instances of instant death.
-Acid will now allow you to sprint while under its effects, decreasing the slow from 50% to 30%.
-Acid duration has been increased from 3 seconds to 4 seconds.
–Bile Titans heads are slightly less durable, and their Acid has a larger spread.
-Shooting the legs of Bile Spewers and Nursing Spewers now slows them down.
-Higher difficulties will now spawn the Charger Behemoth variant. Previously, you could only encounter this variant as an elimination target or as a shuttle bay guard during evacuation missions.
–Automaton Tanks have less armor in the front now, matching the non-vent section of the back of the tank.
-Medium and large enemies are no longer stunned as easily. The patch notes specifically mention the ability the SMG-72 Pummeler has to stun enemies such as the Devastator, but this change may also affect Stun Grenades and their ability to make Hulks and Chargers almost trivial.
-Another notable change is that Automaton Jump Packs worn by Assault Troopers now deal 50% less damage when they explode. These melee enemies chase Helldivers down, and accidentally shooting the Jump Pack often resulted in instant deaths for both the Diver and the Trooper. They will still set you on fire, though.
-Most Automaton firing angles have been tightened, meaning they shouldn’t be able to shoot sideways now.
Gameplay
-The AA-Defenses Modifier (-1 Stratagem Slots) has been removed. This will make higher difficulties much less punishing.
-The Retrieve Essential Personnel Defense mission has been disabled.
-Super Samples can now spawn on Difficulty 6.
-The SEAF artillery is no longer blocked by Stratagem Jammers or Ion Storms. Also, the artillery can still be used after the mission timer has run out.
-Fire Tornadoes have been reworked and no longer follow players around. These firestorms now reduce the enemy’s vision. Tremors have become more random, with an increased range and size. Visibility on foggy and sandy planets has been adjusted to be less harsh and dense, so it shouldn’t feel like a constant sandstorm or blizzard anymore. Additionally, the lamps around extraction points and points of interest that previously blinded players have been tweaked.
-Spike Plants no longer cause bleeding or drain stamina. However, they now explode three times, shooting spikes in all directions and dealing additional damage.
-Explosives like grenades or rockets can instantly trigger unexploded Hellbombs. Shooting them with normal bullets will still trigger with a delay.
-Vegetation that is large enough to slow you down will also provide a stealth bonus, making you harder to detect. Honestly, this is a great change and it’s something that we thought was already in the game. This effect stacks with other modifiers, such as nighttime, being prone or crouched, and wearing Scout armor. This combined with the patrol changes should make for some interesting stealth gameplay!
-The Galactic War Map has had several changes:
“Supply lines were previously not shown on the Galactic War map to reduce clutter and improve readability. However based on the feedback from our community we have made an implementation showing them on the map. This solution tries to maintain the general readability while still exposing the system to players in game.
You will now also be able to see which planet an attack is originating from, potentially allowing for the community to stop the attack at its source.”
Notable Bug Fixes
-Arrowhead has reworked the Spear, resulting in significantly improved targeting functionality. However, it cannot target Fabricator buildings anymore, this is unintentional, and Arrowhead is working on it.
-Intense Heat and Intense Cold now affect the Quasar Cannon’s reload speed. Cold decreases it by 2.5s, while Heat increases it by 2.5s.
-Exosuit weapons have had their firing angles adjusted, so they should be more accurate now without having to rotate as far.
-Blocked players should no longer be able to join you via “Recent Players.”
-They have finally fixed the frustrating bug that caused the Pelican-1 extraction ship to depart immediately after the first player boards. Now, you won’t need to give all the samples to one person at the end of the mission as a precautionary measure.