Helldivers 2 fans left scratching their heads after Arrowhead had missed the standard weekly patch release last Tuesday were finally given answers on June 1, with the dev team revealing a slowdown in the frequency of updates going forward and a focus on getting things right the first time.
In a statement on the game’s official Discord server, Arrowhead Game Studios detailed future plans for patch rollout, confirming what most fans had already noticed—there will now be a gap between content releases. “We’ve slowed down our cadence for patches,” the devs stated, adding the extra time will be spent on ironing out each update to “provide a higher quality standard and reduce the pressure on our teams.”
The devs also cited the mental and social strain these rapid-fire patches had on the team. “The cadence at which we were patching left us little time to engage with the community,” the note stated. As a community-structured game, having more time to receive feedback and adjust accordingly might prevent patches from bouncing weapon balance back and forth, and any schedule that allows hard-working and worn-down developers to rest and relax a bit will almost certainly lead to better results.
This note took on a mixed response among some members of the community. Most players appreciated the forwardness of the devs in their explanation of the new scheduling. However, the Operation: Enduring Peace order mission continues to be plagued with bugs—from granting no rewards on completion to the AR-61 Tenderizer from the Polar Patriots Warbond dealing next to no damage.
The update slowdown has left a sour taste in the mouth of some, especially when many of the game’s newest features are still not working as intended. “I think one concern might be… people might wonder if they’ll have to wait for another month and a half for the fix to catch the next bus,” one player said. “How are these issues not picked up during QA and testing?” asked another, referencing how some content makes it into the game completely broken.
Considering the current patch schedule fixes one or two bugs while leaving a dozen or more problems on the “Known Issues” log, it’s time for a change. A delayed approach might be what Arrowhead needs to ensure Helldivers 2 receives new content in its finished state.
The next major patch for Helldivers 2 is expected in the second week of June.
