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Helldivers 2 patch 7.2.0 went live on October 20, 2026. It replaces GameGuard with Easy Anti-Cheat, adds the Scope of Authority Premium Warbond, and buffs a long list of weapons: the Killzone and Halo Legendary Warbond guns, both Sickles, the light-penetration shotguns, the Bushwhacker and the Maxigun. Arrowhead lists no changes to hardware requirements, and Steam Deck and Linux play still works.
The patch and anti-cheat changes below come from Arrowhead’s 7.2.0 patch notes on Steam, posted at 09:01 UTC on October 20, and its separate anti-cheat announcement from the same morning. The Warbond’s price comes from the community-run Helldivers Wiki, not from Arrowhead. The new Warbond has its own page: our Scope of Authority Warbond guide covers every item and its Medal cost.
Helldivers 2 Easy Anti-Cheat: what changed on October 20
Arrowhead’s “Changing anti-cheat in HELLDIVERS 2” post says the game moved from GameGuard to Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) on October 20, with “additional security tools” added on top. The studio says its GameGuard setup “wasn’t as effective as it could have been”. It also says it is cracking down on cheat mods that have been circulating.
- Hardware: no change to the minimum requirements.
- Steam Deck and Linux: still playable; Arrowhead says compatibility is unchanged.
- Cheat mods: the types that affect other players may stop working.
- Cosmetic mods: some may need an update from their creator before they work again.
Arrowhead does not say which mods are safe. Its answer is that mods are used at your own discretion. If you think EAC is blocking a harmless mod or other software, the studio asks you to contact Arrowhead support on Zendesk.
1000 Super Credits1,000 Super Credits, the price the community wiki lists for the Scope of Authority Warbond that arrived with patch 7.2.0.No account login · just your friend codeFrom $1.89View offerPrimary weapon buffs in patch 7.2.0
Arrowhead says the Killzone and Halo Legendary Warbond weapons felt weaker than similar guns because they have no attachments, so they get higher base stats instead.
| Weapon | Change in 7.2.0 |
|---|---|
| M90A Shotgun | Damage 605 → 726; durable damage 220 → 264 |
| MA5C Assault Rifle | Vertical drift 20 → 15; vertical climb 30 → 20; horizontal climb 12 → 6; durable damage 16 → 20 |
| StA-52 Assault Rifle | Spare magazines 6 → 7; vertical drift 15 → 7.5; vertical climb 25 → 12.5; horizontal drift 10 → 5; horizontal climb 6 → 4 |
| StA-11 SMG | Damage 90 → 100; durable damage 18 → 20; vertical drift 20 → 12; vertical climb 10 → 8; ergonomics 80 → 90 |
| PLAS-39 Accelerator Rifle | Reload 3.3 s → 2.7 s; projectile stagger 20 → 15 |
The PLAS-39 stagger cut is deliberate. Arrowhead says the first shot was staggering enemies so hard that follow-up shots missed weak spots, so lower stagger makes it a better precision weapon.
Sickle and shotgun buffs
Both Sickle laser rifles now start firing and start cooling down faster. Arrowhead says they had fallen behind similar ballistic weapons and took too long to spin up.
- LAS-16 Sickle: time to start firing 0.5 s → 0.33 s; delay before cooling 1.33 s → 0.66 s; heat per shot 1.15 → 0.95.
- LAS-17 Double-Edge Sickle: time to start firing 0.5 s → 0.33 s; delay before cooling 1.33 s → 0.66 s.
The shotguns that fire light-penetration regular pellets get a straight damage increase, which Arrowhead says gives them a faster time to kill. The Bushwhacker sidearm gets the same treatment.
| Weapon | Damage | Durable damage |
|---|---|---|
| SG-8 Punisher | 405 → 486 | 108 → 135 |
| SG-225 Breaker | 330 → 396 | 66 → 88 |
| SG-225SP Breaker Spray&Pray | 240 → 288 | 64 → 80 |
| SG-22 Bushwhacker (sidearm) | 450 → 540 | 108 → 135 |
Stratagem changes in patch 7.2.0
| Stratagem | Change | Arrowhead’s reason |
|---|---|---|
| M-1000 Maxigun | Movement returns 0.5 s → instantly after firing; stagger force 15 → 20; stagger impulse 12 → 24 | Easier to dodge after firing and to push corpses away |
| CQC-20 Breaching Hammer | Spare charges 7 → 10 | Usable as often as similar anti-tank weapons |
| Orbital Airburst Strike | Cooldown 100 → 90; explosion cone 35 → 27 | Tighter shrapnel spread after the Super Destroyer repositioning |
| EXO-51 Lumberer Exosuit | Flame particle damage 3 → 8 | Flames should perform like other flamethrowers |
| A/FLAM-40 Flame Sentry | Flame particle damage 3 → 8 | Same as above |
| Eagle Airstrike Gas | Demolition strength 50 → 40 | It could destroy structures other Eagle bombs cannot |
The Eagle Airstrike Gas change is the one reduction in the list: its demolition strength drops from 50 to 40. The notes list no change to its damage against enemies.
Bile enemies, crash fixes and performance
The bug strain that spawns Bile Warriors, Bile Spewers and Scavengers used to switch on at random. In 7.2.0 it becomes its own strain, run by the Game Masters and shown on the map like Rupture and Spore Burst.
The rest of the notes are fixes. The ones most players will notice:
- Fixed crashes when changing vehicle customization patterns, around SEAF shuttles, with popups, with ragdolls, and with upscalers at certain resolutions; changing resolution or render scale no longer crashes.
- Better multithreaded performance, especially on lower core-count CPUs and Xbox Series S, and less stutter in heavy particle effects.
- On PC, less hitching from shader compilation and a fix for Dynamic Resolution Scaling issues on AMD Radeon cards.
- Support weapon settings such as fire mode now persist between uses and sessions.
- The Crescent Overseer’s backpack can now be destroyed, killing it.
- New SEAF emotes: Rock, paper, scissors, Pull my finger, and Test of Conviction.
Arrowhead keeps a separate Known Issues list on its support site for bugs still open after the patch.
Helldivers 2 Super Credits and Medals
Patch 7.2.0 is also the Scope of Authority release. If you want the new Warbond without the grind, these are the matching items from our Helldivers 2 items page. For the free route, see how to farm Medals.
Medals PackMedals for unlocking the Scope of Authority pages and items.No account login · just your friend codeFrom $5.99View offer
All Warbonds PackageOlder Warbonds in one package; check the listing for which tracks are included.From $99.99View offerFrequently asked questions
When did Helldivers 2 patch 7.2.0 come out?
October 20, 2026. Arrowhead posted the notes on Steam at 09:01 UTC that day.
Did Helldivers 2 remove GameGuard?
Yes. Arrowhead switched from GameGuard to Easy Anti-Cheat on October 20, 2026, with extra security tools added.
Can I still play Helldivers 2 on Steam Deck or Linux?
Yes. Arrowhead says Steam Deck and Linux compatibility is unchanged by the switch to Easy Anti-Cheat.
Why did my Helldivers 2 mod stop working?
Arrowhead says some mods, especially ones that affect other players, may no longer work, and some cosmetic mods need updates from their creators. It does not certify any mod as safe.
Was anything nerfed in 7.2.0?
Only small reductions: the Eagle Airstrike Gas has lower demolition strength (50 to 40), and the PLAS-39 Accelerator Rifle staggers less, which Arrowhead says makes it more accurate on weak spots.
Sources and update history
- Arrowhead Game Studios, Devoid of Liberty: 7.2.0, Steam announcement, October 20, 2026 — every balance number, fix and the Bile strain change.
- Arrowhead Game Studios, Changing anti-cheat in HELLDIVERS 2, Steam announcement, October 20, 2026 — GameGuard to Easy Anti-Cheat, mods, hardware, Steam Deck and Linux.
- Arrowhead Game Studios, Line Up the Perfect Shot with the Scope of Authority Premium Warbond!, Steam announcement, October 13, 2026 — the Warbond added in this patch.
- Helldivers Wiki (helldivers.wiki.gg), Scope of Authority Premium Warbond, checked October 21, 2026 — 1,000 Super Credit price.
Update history: Published October 21, 2026. Facts last checked October 21, 2026 against the sources above.
