I tried the new Helldivers update and OMG!

So today, I finally downloaded the Helldivers 2: Galactic Emergency update, and oh god—I died so many times. Let me be honest, I haven’t played this game in ages, and jumping back in felt like being thrown into a battlefield where everyone else is level 100+, while I’m sitting at a humble level 39. If nothing else, this proves how dedicated the player base is—people are grinding hard.

First Impressions – Optimization and Performance

The moment I launched the game, I could tell it’s not fully optimized yet, but it’s definitely smoother than before. Without Frame Generation, the game ran decently, but once I switched on my AMD driver-level Frame Gen, it was buttery smooth. That said, the game still needs serious optimization to push FPS higher, especially during chaotic moments. And let’s not forget—the diving music still gets me pumped every single time.

New Gameplay Features – The Illuminate Are a Nightmare

This update brings a ton of new content (or maybe it was still there from the previous updates), and let me tell you—the Illuminate faction is frustratingly tough. They’ve got new enemy types that make missions even more intense. But the biggest change? Primary weapons are now upgradeable. As you play more with a weapon, it gains XP, levels up, and unlocks mods and attachments. This is a fantastic addition, giving players more control over their loadouts.

There are also new weapons and stratagems, and one of them completely blew my mind—literally. I don’t know what kind of insane bomb or barrage my teammate threw, but suddenly, continuous strikes from our ship rained down on a single location for two straight minutes. Everyone stood outside the affected zone, watching in awe as missiles and explosions obliterated everything. My screen was shaking, my FPS dropped to 20, and I was screaming: “WHAT THE F* IS GOING ON?!” It was absolute chaos—and I loved every second of it.

Difficulty Spike – The Struggle Is Real

I played at difficulty level 8, and let me tell you—it was brutal. Soloing missions was nearly impossible, but thankfully, some random players joined in, and we managed to complete it. Still, there were frustrating moments, especially with tankier enemies. I don’t know if my auto SMG was nerfed or if certain enemies were just ridiculously tough, but some fights felt unfair.

One concern I have is weapon balancing. If the new battle pass weapons turn out to be significantly stronger, that would be pay-to-win, which I absolutely hate. Hopefully, the devs keep things fair.

Final Thoughts – Will I Keep Playing?

Absolutely. Helldivers 2 is one of those games that’s perfect for quick, intense sessions. Even if I only play one or two rounds, it’s always a blast. And with the Illuminate attacking Earth, we Helldivers need to buckle up and fight back.

That said, I really hope the game gets better optimization soon. Right now, it’s fun but chaotic, and the sheer amount of action on-screen makes consistent performance a challenge. Will it ever be buttery smooth all the time? I doubt it—there’s just too much happening at once. But hey, that’s part of the charm.

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