Free heals bug in Helldivers 2 is the first the players don’t want squashed

Helldivers 2 players desperately want to keep a “feature” in the game. Ironically, it seems like its existence was never part of the original plan.

Helldivers 2 is no stranger to change, and constant updates are a part of what keeps the game fresh. As players figure out ways to become more effective in some areas, the devs will sand down the game’s rough edges. Sometimes this results in fixes players really appreciate, such as changes to fire damage, which previously frustrated players just trying to have fun. Alternatively, some patches change the meta. Lately, players have discovered that emoting while falling lowers the damage they take—and because gamers are enjoying doing this so much, they are desperately hoping Arrowhead doesn’t remove this aspect.

Arrowhead Studios has gained a reputation for its receptiveness to fan requests, and catering to player needs is likely what led to Helldivers 2 becoming one of the most successful PlayStation games of all time. This appeared to backfire somewhat for the studio when PC players made it clear they did not want to link their steam accounts to PSN. However, that situation demonstrated a clear willingness from Arrowhead to communicate openly. 

Now that players have discovered that emoting while dropping from big heights reduces damage and in some cases prevents deaths, they’ve been having a blast incorporating it into their gameplay. The bug plays into the ironic sense of humor that Helldivers 2 has become known for. Other players have become worried the developers will see this as a problem that needs to be fixed, since it is a bug, after all. It seems that players would rather risk getting squashed themselves instead of this bug.

Posts on social media have displayed the increasingly chaotic situations players will get themselves into and miraculously survive because of a hilariously well-timed emote. It appears that this is a case of players wanting something to stay because it’s funny, and that’s reason enough for plenty.

Although it may have been reasonable for players to worry about this bug getting fixed, it gaining so much traction may have proved beneficial. The new Arrowhead CEO,  Shams Jorjani, has commented on the matter, tagging his own studio in a social media post asking to “please, please keep this.” The sense of humor within the fandom evidently exists just as strongly within the developers as well. 

One commenter responded to Jorjani’s post, saying that he’s the CEO and shouldn’t give the team a say in the matter, but Jorjani responded that behaving that way is “a terrible way to run a gaming studio filled with smart & creative people.” Although it makes it clear that keeping the bug won’t entirely be up to him, allowing the developers that choice is equally as important. It’s even possible that dev tinkering could lead to an even better version of this mechanic, providing a clever and hilarious way to consistently evade fall damage.