Helldivers 2’s Economy Under Fire

Helldivers 2, a cooperative third-person shooter developed by Arrowhead, has been plagued by cheaters and exploiters who game the game’s premium currency system, known as super credits. These players have been earning super credits at an unreasonably high rate, which has led to a significant imbalance in the game’s economy.

Source: cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net

Arrowhead has taken notice of this issue and has implemented new measures to tackle it. In a recent Steam post, the developer stated that it has ‘improved our monitoring methods for suspicious super credit activity.’ This means that if Arrowhead detects a player earning super credits at an unreasonably high rate, there are now steps in place to counter this.

Source: img.youtube.com

The developer emphasizes that players who earn super credits the traditional way—by grinding maps, clearing points of interest, and looting bunkers—will not experience any changes. Instead, the system is targeted at cheaters, botters, and people using automation and duplication exploits to hoover up super credits at rates no human Helldiver could ever reach legitimately.

Source: cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net

Arrowhead claims that a healthier economy means the super credits earned through honest service to Super Earth stay worth earning. However, this statement seems a bit odd, given that Helldivers 2 doesn’t really have an economy in the classical sense. Players cannot buy and sell items from each other, and the price of Warbonds is not affected by the game in any way.

The Real Problem: Earning Super Credits

Earning super credits in Helldivers 2 is a tedious process that has been criticized by players for being too time-consuming and unrewarding. The game’s design encourages players to play on easier difficulties to earn super credits faster, which creates a contradiction between natural player progression and unlocking premium items.

Arrowhead could address this issue by making earning super credits more fun and engaging. For example, the developer could tie super credits to new side objectives or combat challenges rather than relying on random encounters in points of interest.

A Healthier Economy for Helldivers 2

Arrowhead’s efforts to address player concerns with Helldivers 2 appear to be working. The studio has adjusted and reworked many different aspects of the game lately, from performance to player progression. As a result, recent Steam reviews have shifted from mostly negative to mostly positive in the space of a couple of months.

While Helldivers 2 is not yet back to its former glory, the game is kind of back, which is good to see. Arrowhead’s commitment to addressing player concerns and improving the game’s economy is a step in the right direction.

However, the real problem lies in the game’s economy itself. As long as earning super credits is a tedious and unrewarding process, cheaters and exploiters will always find ways to game the system. Arrowhead needs to address this issue head-on by making earning super credits more fun and engaging.