Helldivers 2 devs are reworking "fire as a whole" after admitting the way it works now is "ridiculous"

Fire is out of control in Helldivers 2, but thankfully Arrowhead knows this and is working on a fix.

No, I'm not talking about any one uncontained fire spreading through Super Earth, I just mean fire damage generally is unbalanced. Whether you catch heat from a Hulk's flamethrower or from a fire tornado, a brilliant and blisteringly fast death is a near inevitability when it comes to burning damage. Anecdotally, it also doesn't seem nearly as devastating when used on enemies, and in some cases seems completely ineffective, although it seems this could be due to a bug related to who's hosting the game. Regardless, Arrowhead admits fire damage is "ridiculous" and says a complete overhaul is in the works.

"We're going through 'fire as a whole' at the moment. The works – DPS, DOT, the host thingie, not dying in two seconds from just touching it etc. Probably introducing fixes in parts, but we're on it like Donkey Kong on barrels!" community manager Twinbeard said in a Discord exchange (via PCGamesN).

Although the specifics aren't clear, it's safe to say fire damage, including damage per second and damage over time, is due for a nerf, and the issue that seems to make fire damage against enemies ineffective for non-hosts is being fixed. 

"It is ridiculous – or at least wrong and something we're changing," Twinbeard added. "It's an elaborate process, so we're doing it in parts. More info to follow."

As ever, Arrowhead is approaching this issue with a refreshing candidness that should give democracy defenders confidence that comprehensive solution is incoming. The studio kicked off what it has called "a never-ending series of balance changes" last month, and although they acknowledged that "having your favorite toy nerfed absolutely sucks," the march toward equality continues.

In the meantime, here are the best Helldivers 2 builds for spreading managed democracy.