Helldivers 2’s Upcoming Utility Weapon is Creativity on a Knife-Edge (2024)

Helldivers 2 seemed to be churning out new Premium Warbonds at an alarming rate in the last little while. This hasn’t prevented its newest Premium Warbond, ‘Viper Commandos,’ from releasing soon, but Arrowhead’s approach to its battle pass-esque progression system, or at least the rapidity at which they launch, is apparently shifting in order for Warbonds to arrive with more “polish.” This upcoming Warbond demonstrates precisely how that could come to pass as it introduces vehicle pattern customization to Helldivers 2.

Customization for host players’ vehicles will be tremendously exciting as it’ll allow squads to enjoy other players’ personalized themes, even if there will only be a jungle-themed ‘Undergrowth’ pattern available for the time being. It isn’t wholly clear, but Helldivers 2’s Viper Commandos Premium Warbond also debuts a brand-new utility weapon that seems to fall into the grenade category (due to the Warbond already showcasing a unique triple-barreled shotgun as its secondary weapon) despite not being a grenade at all: the K-2 Throwing Knife. If this Throwing Knife is a sign of anything, it’s that Helldivers 2’s creativity ceiling is only as high as its imagination.

“Utility” in Helldivers 2 can have multiple connotations and some players may not choose to delve too deeply into what certain armaments and items may provide. Boosters seem to fall by the wayside with squads carelessly selecting whatever is leftover before diving to the surface of a bot- or bug-infested planet, and it’s debatable that grenades are varied enough to make an astounding difference between Automaton and Terminid missions.

Likewise, secondary weapons were simply a handful of arguably uninteresting sidearms for the longest time. That thankfully changed with the debut of Helldivers 2’s G-31 Grenade Pistol, and the SG-22 Bushwacker, while neither a utility weapon nor a pistol, will surely be an interesting addition.

Doubling the number of grenades players can possess at any time, the Grenade Pistol is still strong due to it being able to close bug holes from a distance when players have depleted their ordinary grenade reserve, though lethal ricochets can make it perilous to fire at armored enemies. It’s terrific that a weapon with such utility was added to the pool of handguns, and if the K-2 Throwing Knife is joining grenades it’ll easily be the most diverse choice yet, whether or not it is actually as effective or useful as a grenade.

Helldivers 2’s Throwing Knife is Another Step Toward a Diverse and Creative Arsenal

The Throwing Knife isn’t expected to have as much utility as the Grenade Pistol, and it’s difficult to imagine it being able to put down anything tougher than a scavenger or a trooper. That said, a Throwing Knife opens the door once more to even more inventive utility tools as the Grenade Pistol did for it. Utility tools may be Helldivers 2’s building blocks toward full-blown melee weapons, for instance, and could give the game all of its ingenuity in terms of what players choose to bring with them.

The “utility” banner also includes boosters and Super Credit resources as seen in the Viper Commandos infographic, which means future utility tools could potentially be primary weapons and any other categorization to imbue Helldivers 2 with as much functionality and game-changing features as possible, creating an experience that relies less on stratagem nukes. Naturally, being able to run around flinging blades at enemies is definitely something to look forward to in Helldivers 2.

Helldivers 2

Helldivers 2 is a third-person cooperative shooter developed by Arrowhead Games Studios for the PC and PlayStation 5 where players take control of a Helldiver set to protect the citizens of Super Earth by traveling to hostile alien worlds and destroying threats. Players undergo missions, defeat enemies, and use special items called Stratagems to help turn the tide of battle in this punishing release.

Franchise

Helldivers

Platform(s)

PC , PS5

Released

February 8, 2024

Developer(s)

Arrowhead Game Studios

Publisher(s)

Sony

Genre(s)

Shooter

Multiplayer

Online Co-Op

ESRB

M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence

Metascore

83

Platforms That Support Crossplay

PC & PS5

Number of Players

1-4

PS Plus Availability

N/A

$40 at AmazonSee at Playstation StoreSee at Steam