Arrowhead Game Studios is prioritizing stability and performance fixes in Helldivers 2 rather than rushing out new content updates for its live service hit, which remains popular on Xbox.

The most recent major update for Helldivers 2, titled Into the Unjust, introduced several performance problems that, according to Arrowhead Game Studios, stemmed from accumulated technical debt. As the game expanded in scope and complexity, it became increasingly unstable, prompting the studio to announce in September that it was working to address the issue. In a newly released video (embedded below), Arrowhead explained how future updates will be implemented. To ensure greater stability, game director Mikael Erikkson said that major updates will arrive at a slower pace going forward. Some problems can be fixed quickly, he noted, while others will take more time.

“We decided to delay some content and feature updates while we resolve these issues to reach a more stable state. We also want to make sure that each new update is more stable and that players can clearly notice the improvements. We’re already making major progress. We take this matter very seriously and are putting far more focus on addressing these problems to make sure this doesn’t happen again.” — said Erikkson.

The worst thing that can happen to a buggy game is when its developers refuse to acknowledge the issue. Erikkson validated the recent complaints from players who encountered crashes and severe bugs following the release of Into the Unjust. While no concrete details about the next patch or its specific fixes were shared, this appears to be Arrowhead’s way of fulfilling its September promise of improved communication. Helldivers 2 players are not known for staying quiet when things go wrong, so it’s unlikely that everyone will welcome the slower update schedule. Still, Erikkson frames it as a necessary move to prevent the situation from worsening.

After all, what’s the point of a big update if many players can’t even play it properly?

Source: PCGamer