What the September 17 buffs and nerfs mean for Helldivers 2 meta

The September 17 Helldivers 2 patch promised to completely rework the game’s weapons, Stratagems, and enemies after various player frustrations. As such, there are plenty of buffs and nerfs for fans to look out for.

While it wasn’t the nail in the coffin, Helldivers 2 has certainly been on a journey of buffs and nerfs since it was released in February. However, September 17 marks a plethora of major changes to key weapons, with some being reverted back to their original powers after the community slammed developers Arrowhead Studios.

While there are plenty of standouts, the likes of the Liberator, Flamethrower, Arc Thrower, and Breaker have received the most buffs, with increases to their damage, range, and even how many Arc streams you can use.

Stratagems have also received some major buffs, with all tools capable of damaging heavily armored enemies getting damage increases.

On top of this, the Eagle 500kg bomb has a wider range, and the Emancipator Exosuit will deal more damage and have a higher rate of fire, as well as more ammo.

Enemies are also being buffed and nerfed. The most notable is the balancing done to the Chargers, with a lower armor and less durable weak spots, but an increase in charge and side attack damage.

The Bile Titan’s armor has also been greatly reduced and allows players to take it down by destroying the exposed belly.

For all the full September 17 patch notes, check out our guide.

Weapon buffs

While partial damage has now been altered to 65%, and protection from Headshots has been implemented, there are a few weapons that stand out among the 29 weapons changed.

One of the most notable is the Liberator and Liberator Carbine, which has had both an increase in Damage (from 60 to 70), a buff in Stagger Force (10 to 15), and tons more ammunition added through its max and starting spare magazines.

Previously, these two weapons were powerhouses of the meta but were quickly nerfed, meaning fans began slamming the Carbine for its lack of ammo economy. Thankfully, it’s received some major changes.

Similarly to the Liberators, the Breaker Shotgun was often considered one of the best weapons in Helldivers 2, being perfect for both Terminids and Automatons. However, recent updates squashed that by reducing the magazine, and impacting its damage. In this update, the weapon comes with an extended magazine and an increase in Stagger Force (10 to 15).

On top of this, the loss of shrapnel was a devastating blow to the community and removed the majority of a weapon’s wider damage. Thankfully, it’s now back, and the Eruptor is the weapon that benefits the most from it. The Eruptor has received new shrapnel damage and shrapnel projectiles, making it much more efficient among hordes.

Lastly, the Flamethrower has received a game-changing buff, bringing it from the bottom of the meta potentially to the top. Damage has been increased by 33%, and the flamer mechanics have been reverted from the Escalation of Freedom update. However, the most powerful change is that it can now damage heavy enemies, like Chargers, Hulks, Impalers, and Bile Titans.

Stratagem buffs and nerfs

While weapons were the primary change happening in the Helldivers 2 update, Stratagems also got some key buffs, with the game now focusing on damage increases, explosions being true to form, and and increase in stagger force.

Most notably, the Eagle 500kg bomb now has a much larger explosion radius, meaning you’ll be able to hit those Bile Titans or fast Chargers with ease.

On top of this, multiple Sentry’s have received a stagger force increase, including the Gatling Sentry, Machine Gun Sentry, Tesla Tower, Heavy Machine Gun Emplacement, and the Patriot Exosuit. Thanks to the increase, the previously weak Machine Gun and Gatling Sentry should be a little more durable, as they’ll push back enemies, allowing for fewer hits.

One key buff or nerf (depending on how you look at it) is through the Orbital Gas Strike, which will now be more crowd control-focused thanks to the Chemical Agents Warbond. As detailed in the patch, “the gas effect has been reworked to cause blindness and confuse enemies and Helldivers alike at the expense of reduced damage over time.”

So, while it’ll certainly be more useful against Terminids, players will need to be careful not to get themselves trapped. Fans must also be aware of the reduced damage over time nerf too, compensating for the new blindness and confusion mechanics.

All enemy buffs and nerfs

Weapons and Stratagems aren’t the only aspects to receive some deadly buffs and greatly appreciated nerfs, the enemies have also changed.

Notably, the Automaton Fabricators have additional health and armor on top of their destruction system, so players will need to hit them a few more times to take them down. However, they also now have clearer signs pertaining to their health state.

Multiple enemies have also had their armors lowered, with many losing durability on weak points, namely the Berserker (Abdomen), Charger (butt and belly), and the Bile Titan (belly). So, be sure to focus on these when you come across them.

Interestingly, Rocket Devastators have received an intense nerf. They now have a limited number of rockets and have a reload mechanic to help replenish their ammunition. This should help players find an opening to take them down in between reloading.

Along with the loss of durability on their weak spots, the Charger has also been slowed down, being able to turn slower and now charging less often. However, their charge attack and side attack damage have increased by 50%, which could make it even more deadly.

The Bile Titan has always been a thorn in the sides of Helldivers, so they’ve also received a major nerf. This includes a reduction in armor from 5 to 4 and the reworking of the enemy’s belly mechanics. Essentially, the armor on the Bile Titan’s belly has been reduced greatly (4 to 2) and the body part has a separate belly health pool that kills the enemy when destroyed.

For more on Helldivers 2, be sure to check out our build guides for the Termanid and Automaton threats, as well as all we know about the (hopefully) upcoming Illuminate faction.