Arrowhead Studios has announced the release of a new premium content pack for Helldivers 2, titled “Chemical Agents,” a War Bonus coming September 19. This content focuses on the use of toxic gases to combat the Terminid plague. But in something that has surprised the community, the content includes Stratagems, which is the first time Helldivers 2 requires premium currency to unlock.
As teased in a post on the official PlayStation Blog, one of the highlights of Helldivers 2 is the addition of these two new Stratagems. For those unfamiliar with the game’s terminology, a Stratagem is a special ability that can be unlocked and used in combat. What’s new is that, until now, premium content packs obtained with Super Credits have not included Stratagems. It’s also worth noting that to obtain Super Credits, Helldivers 2’s premium currency, you must either find them in missions or buy them using real money.
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The post states that, “Adding Stratagem variants to premium content packs is something new with ‘Chemical Agents,’ but our designers felt that since gas is a crowd control tool, it made more sense to release Stratagems that allow Helldivers to choose their favorite primary weapons. Additionally, this brings a lot of variety to ‘Chemical Agents,’ which we hope players will enjoy.”
“Chemical Agents” introduces three new Stratagems: the TX-41 Sterilizer, the AX/TX-13 ‘Dog’s Breath’, and an Orbital Gas Strike. These abilities are gas variants of the already familiar Flamethrower, Guard Dog, and Orbital Strike Stratagems. Along with the new Stratagems, “Chemical Agents” will also include new poses, patterns, a gas grenade, a Stim Gun that can be fired at allies to heal them, and two new armor sets.
In closing, while some may have been surprised that Stratagems require premium currency, many players are excitedly awaiting their arrival. On the Helldivers 2 post on X announcing the War Bonus, players say that the new additions look great, further replying, “Stimgun? And gas blasters? LOVE IT!”, while another player comments, “The stimgun is a great addition. There are a lot of newbies needing healing.”
Players are review bombing Helldivers 2 again, and the developers promise to fix the game’s problems within 60 days
Helldivers 2 has faced a number of issues since its launch, going from being praised by its community to receiving harsh criticism. Initially celebrated, the game has been plagued by inconsistent balance updates that nerfed players’ favorite weapons, leading to frustration.
With the recent Escalation of Freedom patch sparking a new wave of discontent, game director Mikael E has vowed to fix these issues within 60 days, laying out a plan to address the criticism and restore trust in the game.
Over time, Helldivers 2 has shown different facets, going from being celebrated by its community to facing severe criticism for questionable decisions. Initially, the game had an enthusiastic player base that celebrated each new update, however, over time, the perception has changed drastically, manifesting itself clearly through the “review bombing”, which reached its peak with the conflict related to PSN accounts.
