Helldivers 2 Eruptor patch fixes pesky shrapnel murder problem

Dying at the normal rate, now

Arrowhead/Sony Interactive Entertainment

Arrowhead pushed a new Helldivers 2 patch live to fix a bit of a problem with the multiplayer game’s Eruptor weapon, which had a tendency to erupt rather more violently than expected. As in, the shrapnel from fired rounds kept hitting the player who fired the Eruptor and killing them.

The problem arose after Helldivers 2’s 1.000.300 balance update, when players noticed they kept dying for reasons unknown. Keen Reddit user Zenbast quickly identified the Eruptor as the culprit and figured out what caused the problem. While some players thought ricochet shots were to blame, Zenbast examined several gameplay videos and realized it was something else: Shrapnel. 

Ricochet and shrapnel could hurt other players on your squad before the balance patch, but you would never take damage from a shot you fired.  Zenbast said the balance change removed that invulnerability, so even though you’re still more likely to hit a teammate than yourself, you’ll still take damage or even die from shrapnel with most shots the Eruptor fired.

Well, not anymore. Arrowhead investigated the issue themselves and worked on another patch. This one removes shrapnel entirely, so you won’t harm yourself, while buffing the gun in other ways.

“It should maintain its destructive power, and as it is still classed as explosive, it will not lose the ability to break objects, close holes, destroy fabricators, etc,” Arrowhead said on Reddit. “This will, overall, be a buff to the weapon as shrapnel played an almost negligible part in the damage and power it dealt. Its AOE will be unaffected.”