Summary
Helldivers 2isn’t having the greatest time in the sun at the moment despite player counts remaining healthy and new content being airdropped in via the new Escalation of Freedom update and “Freedom’s Flame” Premium Warbond. Warbonds are nothing new toHelldivers 2, but each new bit of content the third-person live-service shooter introduces does seem to push the envelope a bit and iterate on what it’s done before. “Viper Commandos” was a huge proponent of this as it debuted cosmetic palettes for Hellpods, the Pelican, and Exosuits, and “Freedom’s Flame” is thankfully more of the same.
Each Premium Warbond so far inHelldivers 2has been particularly themed, and even though there has been some vocal backlash about nerfs and such it has been thrilling to blanket environments with sweeping sprays of flame and incendiary shotgun shells, especially in defense campaign missions where players can hold waves of Terminids back with billowing walls of fire. However, the most spectacular and perilous new addition to players’ fiery arsenals is the Firebomb Hellpods booster, which is well worth making one’s way through “Freedom’s Flame” to unlock but equally dreadful.
Helldivers 2’s Firebomb Hellpods Call Down Destruction in a Pinch
Firebomb Hellpods create an explosion on the impact of literally any Hellpod called in thanks to them being lined with “volatile incendiaries.” So far,Helldivers 2players have known that when they drop in and surface from a Hellpod embedded in the planet they’ll need to have some semblance of a plan in place shortly thereafter. How that formulates is typically orchestrated before players even land on a planet, though, as they must select a loadout of stratagems and boosters along with their chosen primary weapon, secondary weapon, and throwable.
The meta surrounding boosters hasn’t deviated largely from what it’s always been. In any squad of four players, it is uncommon not to see at least three out of four of the following:Hellpod Space Optimization, Vitality Enhancement, Stamina Enhancement, andFlexible Reinforcement Budget.
Now, theFirebomb Hellpods boostermay slowly start to be integrated into players’ loadouts for whoever has decided to fork over the cash for the Premium Warbond. One of its most obvious advantages is that it’s employed offensively and can come in clutch when support stratagems or even a resupply arrives after a tense cooldown amid a ton of enemies, let alone when reinforced players dive back intoHelldivers 2. On the other hand, the fiery explosion that ensues is indiscriminate in who or what it incinerates before the Hellpod’s actual content becomes available.
Helldivers 2’s Firebomb Hellpods are as Risky as They are Rewarding
Interestingly, most of the community has already rallied against Firebomb Hellpods and decried them as a waste of a booster. Of course, anyone who is unaware that Hellpods will detonate can easily be caught in its explosion, which is definitely the case if a random player answers a distress call and suddenly everyone’s Hellpods cause splashes of glorious fire. One of the most egregious and accidental ways Firebomb Hellpods can be disastrous is when players have little control of where their pod will land, especially on “Evacuate High-Value Assets” if they land directly on a generator and fail the mission.
Players can know to be mindful of the blue beams of light indicating a support Hellpod’s pinpointed arrival, but again without considering they may be explosive players usually hover around so they can collect whatever they called a Hellpod in for anyway. In this case, Firebomb Hellpods may be seen asteamkill inHelldivers 2more than they actually aid teammates as it can be difficult to coordinate where they’re landing, and if players are calling them in to detonate a certain area it might so happen that other players are in the vicinity, too.
It’s also true that there are far more effective and valuable boosters if players are on thehighestHelldivers 2difficulties, but experimentation with not only new additions to the game but also anything that contributes to casual fun is a big reason whyHelldivers 2is popular in the first place. So much of what makes for hysterical moments inHelldivers 2stems from hilarious friendly fire, though it’s understandable why so many players also despise it and kick others if they’re indulging in it. In the meantime, it’ll be interesting to see how players respond to anyone who does bring Firebomb Hellpods and their advantages can hopefully outweigh their disadvantages.
Helldivers 2
WHERE TO PLAY
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