The Helldivers 2 Escalation of Freedom update brought a lot of new content to the game, including new planets, missions, enemies, and much more. However, it also brought its share of nerfs that have caused backlash from the community, causing the developers to go back to the drawing board and figure out a way to rebalance the loot pool. One of the biggest casualties in this update was fire, affecting fire-based weapons such as the Flamethrower and Breaker Incendiary Shotgun , which came as a surprise as the Freedom’s Flame Warbond was due to be released just two days later, which includes the new Cookout Shotgun .
But, players have now discovered that lasers were secretly buffed in the Escalation of Freedom update and can now set enemies on fire. In a post by U/fireheart1029 on the Helldivers 2 sub-Reddit , they noted that laser beams can now light enemies on fire. While this is easier to do with lighter enemies, it also works for larger enemies such as Chargers.
“Anything that shoots a beam now lights enemies on fire after a second or so of concentrated fire. This significantly increases the damage of weapons like [the] Dagger and gives them a bit more crowd control.” These new changes have made weapons such as the Scythe, Dagger, Laser Pistol, Laser Cannon, and Guard Dog much more viable and players could get away with creating an all-laser loadout and not have to worry about resupplying ammo.
While fire damage is often associated with the Terminids, this new change seems to have made taking down larger Automatons such as Devestators and Hulks much easier, as well as giving players a new strategy for taking down Terminid Chargers and Titans. With the Helldivers 2 meta being shaken up with the Escalation of Freedom update , these could be great new options to try as you look to optimize your loadout. To also help with this, I highly recommend checking out our Helldivers 2 best weapons guide and best armor guide .
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