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With all the negative reviews and some controversy following the release of the new Warbond, players are in dire need of some good news. On May 13, Thomas Petersson (AKA TheTwinbeard), Arrowhead’s Community Manager, provided answers for some Helldivers 2 fans on Discord.
Helldivers 2 Community Seeks Answers
Petersson responded to several players, covering all the topics that piqued their interest. For starters, he addressed the everlasting plea for more bug fixes and better balancing. He said: ”Yup, we’re aware there’s a lot of concern regarding Warbond cadence and us possibly over-balancing and/or nerfing too much. We’re discussing it a lot internally ATM”. He also acknowledged the ”iffy” mech, assuring the fan that his colleagues were working on it.
Twinbeard also delivered some great news, saying that something similar to a test server for new items has been discussed. When asked if they were aware of possibly bugged patrol rates, he said: ”I think we’re aware, but I’ll ask since there’s a LOT going on…”. He also addressed the concerns over weapons losing their identity with nerfs. Reassuring a fan he said the creators ”strived for as many weapons as possible having a distinct personality and feeling”.
Players are praising Petersson for his thoughtful reply to the accusation over the balancing situation. A fan suggested that the balance team would ”rather die on that hill” than listen to the fans. Twinbeard shared a heartfelt message: ”… We’re nothing without the players. Sure, we have a vision to follow and we need to believe in that, but that vision will change over time, and secondly, a vision is an overall goal, but it’s made up of small details…”. He also explained how they are still ”playing catch-up” after the initial release.
Appreciating the Community’s Input
Finally, Twinbeard discussed fans’ having a more direct impact on the game. He explained that a whole channel for suggestions and feedback was unfortunately too demanding at the moment. On the other hand, he confirmed there were talks about using player polls more often.
Helldivers were very happy with Q&A, they took to Reddit to praise Petersson. KallasTheWarlock gushed: ”Yup, this is how you Manage a Community. Concise answers to questions, and if there isn’t a conclusive answer forthcoming then at least he gives an acknowledgment of the raised issue – and all of that without insulting or demeaning the player base.”. DreadOp said: ”Twinbeard is the best CM [Community Manager] we got, hopefully, he gets a raise and a promotion.”.
Others agreed but expressed a slight concern. Enough-Seesaw4786 shared their opinion: ”Twinbeard is awesome and I appreciate how much he seems to care about/interact with the community but I really really hope AH [Arrowhead] can follow through on a lot of the things he’s saying. In the past, it has sometimes felt like he says one thing and the action AH takes in the game is the opposite, but I know recently it’s been pretty hectic and they’re trying to get back in their routine/rhythm”.
Reaching out and actually listening to your audience means a great deal. Getting some answers from Arrowhead’s Community Manager is a step in the right direction according to Helldivers 2 fans. There are still lots of areas to cover, bugs to correct, and balancing issues, but knowing that you have a say means a lot.