Helldivers 2’s next Warbond, the jungle warfare-themed “Viper Commandos,” launches June 13 and with it developer Arrowhead is announcing a newer approach to its live-service model that will slow the pace of content and prioritize quality experiences over volume.
“We have been listening to your feedback as we develop our Warbonds in general,” community manager Katherine Baskin wrote on the PlayStation Blog, “The idea behind each Warbond is to allow our Helldivers to roleplay their favorite soldier fantasies within our universe, but it’s important that these are fantasies that actually appeal to our players.”
Viper Commandos, therefore, is going to take a less-is-more approach, “rather than giving more of the same,” Baskin said. Weapons and armor sets were starting to feel redundant or repetitive for the game, which launched in February.
So the gear coming in the newest Warbond “really sell that fantasy of ‘up close and personal,’” Baskin wrote. Two weapons kick off the latest update — the AR-23A Liberator Carbine and the SG-22 Bushwacker which is formidably described as a “triple-barrel, sawed-off shotgun with two different firing modes,” and yes that means one mode deploys all three barrels.
Armor includes the PH-9 Predator, which helps sell the lore of the Viper Commandos who “held off an entire Terminid brood with nothing but a machine gun, pocket knife, and Orbital Laser.” (That last tool was probably the difference-maker). There’s also the “PH-202 Twigsnapper” for heavy assault types. But as always, everything is mixable-and-matchable. Both armors feature a Peak Physique passive trait, which improves both melee damage and weapon handling (while allowing players to flex out their biceps and triceps).
How much does the Viper Commandos Warbond cost?
Viper Commandos will cost 1,000 Super Credits, an in-game currency that can be freely earned or bought straight up for $9.99.
Helldivers 2’s last Warbond content update was the “Polar Patriots,” in May. Though this Warbond comes only a month later, Arrowhead’s PlayStation Blog post suggests the next one might take a little longer.
The game is one of the fastest-selling PlayStation 5 titles of all time, in addition to being available on PC. In early May, Sony rolled back a requirement that PC players have a linked PlayStation Network account to play the game, a wildly unpopular decision that led to a massive review-bomb of disapproval on the game’s Steam page.
Featured images via PlayStation.blog
