Helldivers 2 CEO welcomes player criticism over controversial nerfs

Following a controversial update that frustrated Helldivers 2 players with nerfs, Arrowhead Game Studios CEO Shams Jorjani made it clear he appreciated the community’s passion and promised changes to the game and the studio’s communication.

The latest Helldivers 2 patch, released on August 6, has not gone over well with players. The community has been very vocal in criticizing its various nerfs, with a particular focus on the popular Flamethrower weapon.

Now, Arrowhead boss Shams Jorjani has responded to the outcry in a surprisingly gracious way.

Speaking to frustrated players in the Helldivers Discord, Jorjani said “I’d take this ANY day of the week over nobody giving a s***.”

He went on to add, “And to be clear – I have no problem with what’s happening now. We want people to tell us what they like and not.”

Arrowhead Game Studios

Jorjani also said that those voicing their concerns were “making excellent points on multiple topics” and provided insight into why updates don’t always go as players want and developers hope.

“Our intention is obviously that every patch moves the needle more in the right direction,” he said. And while the issues with the latest patch have overshadowed its improvements, “that doesn’t mean we’re not doing work in good faith or that we’ll stop – but that we’re human and sometimes we flounder.”

Helldivers 2 and Arrowhead are, of course, no strangers to criticism. Even excluding the massive PSN controversy back in May, past updates have been slammed over nerfs, including some that even game director Johan Pilestedt thought went too far.

In fairness, some have also praised Arrowhead for its receptiveness to criticism and the way it’s embraced the Helldivers 2 community through good and bad – an approach Jorjani’s response in this situation continues.

Still, Jorjani indicated plans are in the works to future improve the developer’s communications with players that include “regular streams, more blogs and vlogs in the not so distant future.”

What Arrowhead does in the wake of this new wave of criticism remains to be seen, but Helldivers at least have reason to believe democracy is in good hands.