Home Helldivers 2 leans into fire weapons with its August update

Helldivers 2 leans into fire weapons with its August update

tl;dr

  • Helldivers 2's next update on Aug. 8 introduces flamethrowing weapons for tackling extraterrestrial insects.
  • New weapons include an incendiary shotgun, a long-range flamethrower, and a matching sidearm, plus fire-resistant armor sets.
  • The update, costing 1,000 Super Credits ($9.99), continues Arrowhead's themed Warbond updates, following June's "Viper Commandos".

Helldivers 2’s latest update, coming Aug. 8, brings the fire in the form of flamethrowing weapons, perfect for barbecuing extraterrestrial insects.

It’s called the “Freedom’s Flame” Warbond, which is how developer Arrowhead Game Studios refers to these live-service updates. The new weapons look good and certainly lend a new and satisfying way to play the multiplayer shooter.

To be clear, fire weapons have been in Helldivers 2 since its February 2024 release date; this just leans further into the concept. Players will get a close-quarters shotgun that sprays “incendiary phosphorous” — which I believe is a violation of the Geneva Conventions — and a new flamethrower with longer range, as well as a matching sidearm.

There will also be two armor sets in the Warbond, conferring a passive trait of 75% damage resistance to fire. Players will also be able to retitle themselves as a Fire Safety Officer, and paint their shuttle, Hellpod, and exosuits in Safety Orange. Additionally, the Hellpod (the vessel players take to planetary surface) can be outfitted with a huge flame-blast as it touches down, getting the critters crispy before they even debark.

How much will Helldivers 2’s newest content pack cost?

Arrowhead has promised these Warbond updates will come out on a regular basis, and told players they can expect them to carry a certain theme. Warbonds typically cost 1,000 Super Credits, which is an in-game currency that is freely earned through play, or bought outright for $9.99.

The last Warbond, which launched in June, was the “Viper Commandos” set of weapons and gear, which evoked action movies set in a jungle, such as Predator. Before that was May’s “Polar Patriots,” which put the heroes in cold-weather gear.

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Owen Good
Gaming Editor (US)

Owen Good is a 15-year veteran of video games writing, also covering pop culture and entertainment subjects for the likes of Kotaku and Polygon. He is a Gaming Editor for ReadWrite working from his home in North Carolina, the United States, joining this publication in April, 2024. Good is a 1995 graduate of North Carolina State University and a 2000 graduate of The Graduate School of Journalism, Columbia University, in New York. A second-generation newspaperman, Good's career before covering video games included daily newspaper stints in North Carolina; in upstate New York; in Washington, D.C., with the Associated Press; and…

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