With the Terminids’ Hive Worlds’ introduction in Helldivers 2, players very quickly learned just how frustratingly tanky new enemies like the Rupture Strain and Dragonroaches are. Many players were arguing that these enemies were forcing everyone (even Automatons) into the same few loadouts.
However, the recent discussion on Reddit made it clear that this rabbit hole goes way deeper and isn’t all about enemy design. The real problem is the weapon/throwable balance.
They are so out of balance that the thread showed a stat where Thermite grenades dominate across every front (as they’re a great Anti-tank option).
Thermite Grenades Reveal a Deeper Balancing Problem in Helldivers 2
The Reddit user shared a stat page from the stats-tracking site Helldive.live in which Thermite grenades make up over half of all throwable picks: 54.6%. Yes, more than half of the player base uses the same throwable, and the nearest sits far below at just 14.2% (High Explosives).
This is a troubling sign for the community, and they are aware and voicing their concerns. The user also pointed out that if Thermite were removed for even a day, “the whole front collapses.”
While it’s still worth noting that Gas and Pyrotech are still popular and offer unique utility to the players. The issue is that they’re either too situational or locked behind warbonds, meaning casual and new players have to default to Thermite for its reliability in taking out tank units easily (with its AT7 pen).
The results from thermite are great (and also open up variety in other fronts of the loadout), but this reliance is what’s killing the strategy and diversity on the battlefield. Instead of new players finding different weapons or experimenting, they simply rely on a few options.
Arrowhead’s Balancing Struggles Resurface Once Again
What started as a frustrating issue with overpowered Rupture strain and Dragonroaches has exposed an even larger imbalance. The concerning part is that we have faced this problem before, and it ruined the experience for a long time.
While Arrowhead has always been transparent with their approach before, currently, they are also facing performance issues. Yes, because of a bug (a technical one), it even removed the Rupture strain from the battlefield.
It didn’t fix the issue, as half of the player base is being forced into using the same grenade (with a fixed few loadouts). This highlights a systemic lack of viable alternatives (or alternatives being locked behind a lengthy grind).
And this isn’t a throwable problem only; recently, the AR-2 Coyote, released in the Dust Devils Warbond, was dominating the Terminds front. With the latest Major being about Automaton, its dominance has calmed down a bit.
However, this is a concerning sign for the developers, who now face two challenges: continue improving performance while also tuning weapon and throwable diversity.
Community has made it clear that they players don’t just want bug fixes; they want significant balance adjustments or a change in unlock priority that lets creativity flourish. Until that has been fixed, Helldivers will use one tool, Thermite, to stop the alien invasion and spread Democracy in the galaxy.
If you could buff or redesign one throwable in Helldivers 2, which would it be, and why? Comment below to let us know.
