Helldivers 2: Flamethrower Overhaul

Helldivers 2 recently released a new patch that fixed a buggy armor perk, which in turn improved how the Flamethrower stratagem works in the game. Helldivers 2, released in early February 2024, is a co-op shooter game published by Sony and developed by Arrowhead Studios. The game has gathered a massive player base in a very short time, making it one of the most successful PlayStation games in 2024.

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FLAM-40 Flamethrower is one of the most potent stratagems in the game, but it has been a very difficult weapon to control. It received a 50% damage boost in March, which led players to start working on new Flamethrower builds in Helldivers 2. Even though it does massive damage, the Flamethrower was an exceptionally slow weapon, which was frustrating for many players who prefer better mobility in shooter games. Fortunately, the latest patch has brought good news to players who enjoy both agility and massive firepower.

Helldivers 2 update 01.000.403 brought many bug fixes and improvements to the game, which includes a change to the Peak Physique armor passive. As a result of this change, weapon handling became significantly easier, making the Flamethrower a good choice to pair with the Peak Physique armor perk. Reddit user CalypsoThePython shared a clip of the Flamethrower in action after the patch that shows how the handling improved after the latest fix. According to them, the stratagem used to turn "like a truck" before the patch, which made it quite impossible to aim precisely at enemies or to control the weapon while strafing or running.

Helldivers 2 Flamethrower Improved After the Latest Patch

The Helldivers 2 Viper Commandos Warbond introduced the Peak Physique armor passive in mid-June. The armor perk was supposed to improve weapon handling by minimizing the drag following weapon or character movement, while increasing melee damage by 50%. However, since the Warbond's release, the armor perk has not been functioning properly, which in turn, affected weapon ergonomics, making the Flamethrower extremely slow. The Helldivers 2 Media account on Twitter featured the Reddit user's clip, where some players commented that they did not know that the Flamethrower was slow because of the bug in the Peak Physique armor perk.

Helldivers 2's devs have always been prompt about addressing issues and releasing updates, and the speed with which they fixed the armor perk is remarkable. Players have received this new change with open arms, as it will be easier to handle heavy weapons like the Flamethrower. Still, many players desire further enhancements to Helldivers 2's Flamethrower mechanics. One such player mentioned an issue where the Flamethrower points upwards if fired when the Jump Pack is active. This will hopefully get fixed in a later Helldivers 2 patch when the devs become aware of the bug.