Helldivers 2 made a bit of a splash recently with the reveal of an impending update that aimed to bring a whole new range of hurt to the Helldivers – titled “Escalation of Freedom“, this update is bringing new threats, new enemies and all manner of new nightmares to shake shit up.
But, a Helldiver is nothing if not well equipped – and to combat the escalation of scary new friends, the only logical response is to kill it all with fire.
That is where the Freedom’s Flame Premium Warbond comes in clutch.
Fire has been a problematic thing in Helldivers 2. It has been buggy, unpredictable and often more dangerous to friends than it was to foes. Nowadays, a great many patches have been deployed to try and tame this rugged, sizzling beast – and these days you can actually coexist without needing to live in constant fear of impending cremation.
So what better way to celebrate this new friendship than with new and improved ways to spread its warm cheery glow:
- SG-451 Cookout
Burn, baby, burn! A pump action shotgun that unleashes a burst of incendiary phosphorus pellets at your helpless enemies. - FLAM-66 Torcher
A lightweight flamethrower shooting pressurized fuel through a nozzle into a roaring, open flame. Sounds safe. It isn’t. Watch where you’re standing. - P-72 Crisper
A flamethrower that fits in your pocket for the Helldiver on the go! What will those guys think of next? This lovely compact handgun projects a jet of freedom flames over short distances.
The concept of a “pocket flamethrower” sounds like an accident waiting to happen, so I am particularly grateful that it exists in a video game and nowhere near my local shopping centre. What helps this newfound love of pyromancy is the addition of new armour types that pack a whopping 75% fire damage reduction when worn, so now the cackling maniacs that like to make everything crispy can also relish the reduction in personal friendly fire.
The warbond also comes with the second range of neat skins that can be applied to your pods and heavy vehicles, with an orange livery to repaint your Shuttle, Hellpod, and Exosuit in striking Safety Orange.
The most unique thing to behold in this warbond however, is a new booster that actually amends how your Hellpod drop behaves – turning your dynamic entry device into a vessel to deliver a flaming crater upon arrival:
- Fiery Drop – Firebomb Hellpods
Scorch the earth (and anything else) below as you touch down with attitude and ignite the dropsite.
It is no secret that Helldivers are quick to weaponise their reinforcement method, but this is the first booster I have seen that actually works to incentivise it. Of course, I would ask the question of what happens when you step out of your pod, into a fiery inferno?
Oh right, that’s what the flameproof armour is for. It all makes terrifying, crackling sense now.
The Helldivers 2 Freedom’s Flame Warbond burns bright on August 8.
Are you excited to bring the heat to a battlefield near you? Let us know in the comments or on social media.
Known throughout the interwebs simply as M0D3Rn, Ash is bad at video games. An old guard gamer who suffers from being generally opinionated, it comes as no surprise that he is both brutally loyal and yet, fiercely whimsical about all things electronic. On occasion will make a youtube video that actually gets views. Follow him on YouTube @Bad at Video Games
