Arrowhead Game Studios shipped Update 7.2.0 for Helldivers 2 on October 20, 2026, and while the headline addition is new anti-cheat protection, the patch quietly delivers one of the bigger weapon-balance passes of the year. You can check current pricing and reviews on the official Helldivers 2 Steam store page.
Easy Anti-Cheat Arrives
Update 7.2.0 adds Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) to Helldivers 2 on PC, alongside additional security features aimed at cutting down on cheaters in both co-op missions and PvE drop-ins. The update also improves multithreaded CPU performance, reduces stuttering during combat, speeds up level loading, and cuts down shader-compilation stutter on PC.
Major Weapon Buffs
Shotguns got the biggest love: the M90A jumps from 605 to 726 damage (220 → 264 against durable targets), and the SG-22 Bushwhacker rises from 450 to 540 damage (108 → 135 durable). The SG-8 Punisher, SG-225 Breaker, and SG-225SP Breaker Spray&Pray all get more standard and durable damage too. On the rifle side, the MA5C hits harder against durable targets with less recoil, the StA-52 gains an extra magazine and much lower recoil, and the StA-11 SMG gets more damage, better handling, and less recoil. The LAS-16 Sickle and LAS-17 Double-Edge fire and cool down faster, while even the Killzone and Halo Legendary Warbond guns got stat bumps to compensate for their lack of customization options.
Stratagem Changes
The M-1000 Maxigun can now move immediately and staggers enemies harder, the CQC-20 Breaching Hammer carries 10 ammo instead of 7, and the Orbital Airburst Strike cooldown drops from 100 to 90 seconds with a smaller blast radius. Ready to jump back into the fight? Pick up Helldivers 2 for PC or top up with a Steam Wallet Code (US), and browse more co-op shooters in our Action category.
