Why wasn’t Helldivers 2 May 21 patch released? Explained

For those looking for a Helldivers 2 patch yesterday (May 21), you will be disappointed. The popular third-person co-op shooter's next update has been delayed. The same was conveyed by Thomas Petersson, the game's Community Manager, on the game's Discord server.

Helldivers 2 has seen quite a few balance patches that have significantly impacted the gameplay. Even the game director, Johan Pilestedt, acknowledged that the devs have "gone too far in some areas" with balance changes and nerfs.

---

Helldivers 2 next patch is delayed

Twinbeard on timeline for weapon balance patch byu/jhongover9000 inHelldivers

On being asked on the game's Discord server whether a patch with balancing changes was appearing soon, Petersson confirmed that it would take "more time" and that the devs were "cooking."

No patch today. Don't know when next one will be byu/thomasbis inHelldivers

In another reply to when a patch can be expected, Petersson clarified that the devs wanted to take more time for the upcoming patch and future updates. They aim to maintain "the quality standard" they want and the players deserve. He explained:

"Patching a lot risks can easily disrupt work flow and takes more resources than you might think; it needs planning, implementing, monitoring, possible tweaking in hotfixes, etc. For this one, we prefer to stretch it out a little hopefully with a good result."

The reasoning provided for the delay aligns with the overall commitment of the devs to provide a positive experience for the game's community. Arrowhead Game Studios has managed to maintain an open line of communication with the players ever since launch, with the PSN account linking fiasco for PC players being the latest example.

Helldivers 2 patches have been a wild ride for some players with various popular weapons receiving nerfs over the months. For example, the April 29 patch saw Guard Dog damage decrease by 30% and Quasar Cannon's recharge time increased by five seconds.

We will have to wait and see what the next patch brings. Apart from balancing changes, we also expect tweaks and fixes for game performance and crashes.