All weapon nerfs and buffs in Helldivers 2 Escalation of Freedom, explained

Helldivers 2 Escalation of Freedom update is here, and it has introduced numerous changes to the game, including an extensive list of buffs and nerfs to some weapons. Helldivers 2 has been one of the biggest hits this year, but in recent months, its player numbers have been dwindling. However, with this new update, the game looks forward to attracting a new wave of players and regaining relevance.

In this article, we have listed all the buffs and nerfs made to the weapons in the Helldivers 2 Escalation of Freedom update.

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Which weapons are nerfed and buffed in Helldivers 2 Escalation of Freedom?

All the weapons that got nerfed and buffed (Image via Arrowhead Game Studios/Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Here are all the weapons that have gone through changes in the new update (some weapons have received buffs as well as nerfs, and hence qualify for both categories):

Buffed:

1. SG-8S Slugger
2. GP-31 Grenade Pistol
3. CB-9 Exploding Crossbow
4. AX/AR-23 Guard Dog
5. Orbital Walking Barrage
6. Orbital 120mm HE Barrage

Nerfed:

1. SG-8S Slugger
2. SG-225IE Breaker Incendiary
3. GP-31 Grenade Pistol
4. Orbital Walking Barrage

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Here are the changes that have been made to these weapons in detail (in the same order as the patch notes):

All changes summarized (Image via Arrowhead Game Studios/Sony Interactive Entertainment)

• SG-8S Slugger: Improved stagger force and spread, but increased drag.
• SG-225IE Breaker Incendiary: Reduced ammo capacity and increased recoil, making it potentially more challenging to use.
• GP-31 Grenade Pistol: Decreased ammo capacity but improved ammo replenishment from boxes, balancing its usage.
• CB-9 Exploding Crossbow: Now one-handed, potentially increasing mobility.
• AX/AR-23 Guard Dog: Increased ammo capacity, allowing for more sustained fire.
• Orbital Walking Barrage: Increased number of salvos but decreased movement speed, making it more powerful but slower.
• Orbital 120mm HE Barrage: Reduced cooldown and time between salvoes, allowing for more frequent and rapid use.

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Fixes made to weapons and stratagems in Helldivers 2 Escalation of Freedom

Fixes made to various weapons and stratagems(Image via Arrowhead Game Studios/Sony Interactive Entertainment)

There have also been some fixes to some weapons and stratagems:

• FS-55 Devastator armor: Fixed incorrect description.
• Blitzer: Added continuous fire capability by holding the fire button.
• GP-31 Grenade Pistol, LAS-7 Dagger, SG-22 Bushwhacker: Reclassified into a Special sidearm category.
• ARC-12 Blitzer, Plasma Punisher: Fixed missing penetration tags.
• LAS-16 Sickle: Corrected fire limit value in weapon stats.
• SH-20 Ballistic Shield Backpack: No longer obstructs enemy line of sight, collision with combat walker was removed, bug related to SSSD drive pickup causing shield drop was fixed, and adjustment was made to prevent collision with the player while wielded.
• AX/AR-23 Guard Dog: Ammo boxes found on the map now have ammo for this weapon.

That’s all the weapons changes made in the Helldivers 2 Escalation of Freedom update.

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• Helldivers 2 June 11 Major Order leaves you with a difficult choice
• How to find and kill Annihilator Tanks in Helldivers 2?