Helldivers 2, in the running for the most review-bombed game in history, got another Steam beating a few weeks back when Arrowhead announced a change in anti-cheat services that would break or disallow existing mods.
The goal with the switch from GameGuard to Easy Anti-Cheat, as the studio explained at the time, was to combat mods that "create unfair advantages or negatively impact others," but it also acknowledged that mods it has no problems with, like cosmetic add-ons, would also be affected. The news went over like a lead balloon, prompting over 10,000 fresh negative Steam reviews and a "mostly negative" recent rating.
Skimming the last few weeks of ratings, negative reviewers are either miffed about their broken mods, new and old bugs, or the perception that Arrowhead is attacking modders instead of fixing bugs. There was no reality where a community notorious for intensely boycotting everything it finds annoying was going to embrace stricter modding oversight, but Arrowhead did address the outcry in its latest Helldivers 2 developer blog.
"We added Easy Anti-Cheat for one reason: to reduce the number of cheaters joining your missions and ruining the experience. On that front, we think we’re taking steps in the right direction," the blog read. "However, we do see that this change means that some PC players lost the use of fan-made game mods. While all mods are not officially supported, we have been reviewing how the code changes disabled cosmetic non-gameplay mods. This has resulted in adjustments that should allow some cosmetic mods to be functional with our next hotfix."
Mod restriction is a prickly topic for Helldivers 2, which is both a perfectly valid candidate for mods as a purely PvE game, but also a live service with real-money currency and DLC. A common form of cheating in Helldivers 2 is to use mods to farm (or straight up spawn) premium Super Credits that are supposed to be rare. Another is to alter weapon or enemy behavior in ways that are unfair to vanilla teammates trying to play normally, or in some cases cause client crashes.
I'm guessing Arrowhead is slightly more concerned about the folks farming free currency at rapid speeds than the ones with infinite ammo cheats, but it won't be budging on outlawing gameplay-altering mods that, "from a technical perspective, are indistinguishable from an attempt to cheat."
But that's not the only thing the Reddit crowd is pissed about: The studio also acknowledged that promised improvements to hellpod steering and stratagem bouncing have taken longer than planned because they "require substantial adjustments to both mechanics while taking into account all edge cases," copped to missing patch dates on its current roadmap, and apologized for overselling the arrival of bug caves on more map types as a "new biome" on the same roadmap.
"Your input matters and we’re sorry this roadmap wasn’t as accurate as it should have been, Helldivers. While we aren’t announcing a date for it in this article, our next roadmap will demonstrate the impact of your feedback."
Looking ahead, Arrowhead shared some improvements coming in early December:
- Jump, Hover, and Warp packs will now be usable while carrying two-handed items. This was previously not possible and allows for the introduction of new loadout combinations. (line edited for clarity)
- The Hellbomb backpack will be able to be armed or picked up from the ground using long-press interact.
- All gas clouds will no longer slow the march of the Helldivers.
- Helldivers will soon be sporting a new utility belt! This smart accessory lets you carry small handheld items like remotes and detonators alongside your support weapon, meaning they no longer occupy your hands or backpack. This makes the Solo Silo and the C4 much easier to use (and yes, you can still throw your sample pouch).
- New terminal puzzles are being added! Super Earth’s foes were starting to learn by watching Helldivers solve them, so get ready for some fresh challenges while the enemy masses flank you.
- Also, SEAF will now be able to open bunkers with you!
Good stuff, except I have read that first bullet point three times now and still can't decide what it means. I think it means that mobility packs now pair nicely with objectives that require carrying large objects, like SEAF artillery missiles, but I'm just not sure. I suppose they did say they're working on clarity.
