Helldivers 2 Dev Promises More Content as Steam Reviews Tumble to 'Mostly Negative'

Arrowhead, the developer behind Helldivers 2, has addressed growing community concerns and teased new content on the way after the game's Steam reviews dropped to 'mostly negative'. Recent user reviews for the third-person shooter have taken a hit due to dissatisfaction with recent updates and a perceived lack of content. In response to what it called 'the community’s burning questions', Arrowhead released an in-universe message acknowledging the backlash.

'Helldivers 2 matters to all of us, and we want to be clearer about what we’re working on and what’s coming next,' Arrowhead stated. The studio assured players that new content is on the horizon, alongside improvements to the game's core systems. Stability, progression, and the Galactic War were highlighted as areas receiving attention. 'We’ve significantly expanded the team working on meta-progression and the Galactic War, reflecting how important these long-term systems are for the overall player experience,' the developer added.

Upcoming Galactic War improvements include more meaningful rewards, community progression systems, and evolving Major Orders into longer, multi-week themed 'Campaigns' with branching outcomes that 'create clearer stakes and consequences based on player actions'. The first results are expected this summer.

Arrowhead also addressed concerns about hidden changes in updates, promising more accurate patch notes and better explanations for balance changes. Tech and performance improvements will be discussed soon.

One major point of contention was the inclusion of exosuits in the premium Exo Experts warbond, which sparked significant backlash. Arrowhead explained: 'The goal with the Exo Experts warbond was to create something that felt thematically strong and exciting, with exosuits as a core part of that fantasy. That said, we’ve seen the feedback around how that landed — especially when it comes to expectations around how players unlock major gameplay items like exosuits. More broadly, we want to strike the right balance between what’s included in Warbonds and what’s available through gameplay, so that rewards feel both exciting and fair. And to be clear — yes, you will be getting other vehicles through gameplay in the future.'

Perhaps the biggest news: Arrowhead revealed that teams are actively working on new red stratagems, evolving ships, and player progression to level 150 'and beyond'. 'Our goal is to expand these areas in ways that add meaningful new options and support different playstyles, rather than just adding more for the sake of it,' the developer teased.

While this announcement is sure to please some disgruntled players, skepticism remains about Arrowhead's ability to deliver. Helldivers 2 is now over two years old, and despite a spectacular launch that made it the fastest-selling PlayStation Studios title ever, it has experienced ups and downs as Arrowhead strives to maintain interest in the live service. The game remains one of the most-played on Steam, though far from its launch peak.

Larger questions loom about Helldivers 2's future, especially as Arrowhead works on a new game. Can the studio make meaningful updates beyond what we've seen in the past two years? In December, former Helldivers 2 chief Johan Pilestedt discussed the possibility of a rogue-lite mode. Game director Mikael Eriksson confirmed in a February interview that game-changing updates, such as increasing squad size or map scale, are being worked on.