Today,Helldivers 2revealed its upcoming Premium Warbond, titled “Chemical Agents,” which is slated to launch on September 19 and render the game’s environments in countless plumes of noxious green gas. This Warbond seems like it was a long time coming seeing as how gas-related stratagems and the like have been available for the longest time inHelldivers 2and it’ll be exciting to see how effective its content unlocks are.
Premium Warbonds have made a name for themselves as having quite a few intriguingsecondary weapons/utility items and “Chemical Agents”is no different. The P-11 Stim Pistol is introduced in this Warbond and its name says it all—it’s a handgun firing stims with the goal being to equip it and heal teammates from a distance. Of course, while it may be a thrilling concept for anyone genuinely wishing to roleplay as a dedicated, fictional medic class inHelldivers 2, its usefulness will be largely dependent on players embracing the pistol’s selfless gimmick in high-level play.
Helldivers 2’s Stim Pistol Comes with Unique Caveats as a Utility Sidearm
The obvious catch withHelldivers 2’s P-11 Stim Pistol is that it may only be effective if players can aim well enough with it in a pinch, presumably when teammates are badly injured and overwhelmed by bots or bugs. However, another concern is whether players actually bring it as their utility sidearm rather than any other secondary weapon they might choose instead.
Secondary weapons are all more or less circumstantial and not as reliable as they’d seem;Helldivers 2’s GP-31 Grenade Pistolwould appear highly valuable for bug nests or bot bunkers, for instance, if not for how difficult it can be to fire these projectile grenades precisely where players need them to land at the end of their lobbing arcs.
Therefore, a way to apply team heals could be perceived as a great use of a utility slot. Given the information on hand, though, it is incredibly likely that many players will soon overlook the Stim Pistol if for no other reason than that it only provides what is described as a “minor heal.”
Regardless of how much that actually mends players, it suggests that it won’t be a full heal, leaving players only in a marginally better condition. This could be the difference between a player making it out of a horde by being able to sprint normally or not, and yet it also might not be enough depending on each particular context it is employed in, such as if the player is in the middle of being trampled by aChargerorincessantly hurled across the map by a stalker.
Helldivers 2’s Stim Pistol is Going to Be a Testament to Team-Based Play
The Stim Pistol also doesn’t seem to be able to heal the wielder, at least not in a traditional or intended sense, and anyone who equips it as part of their loadout must be fully aware that they’re essentially wasting that item slot if they don’t stick to teammates like glue to administer heals when needed. This is a tall order to ask of any Helldiver and surely anyone in a random lobby queue of players who may or may not all immediately separate to opposite corners of the map as soon as they emerge from their pods.
The Stim Pistol seems fantastic for groups of peers playing together who can devise strategies and have one Helldiver behave like an aforementioned medic, but random queues are the Wild West inHelldivers 2and any individual player’s loadout could make or break team synergy in any mission. It’ll take someone wanting to be a wholesome, good-natured soul through and through to bring a Stim Pistol into a random queue, especially ona difficulty setting as nightmarish as Level 10 Super Helldive, and not expect anything in return for their supportive efforts.
Moreover, while the Stim Pistol could be a boon during the extraction phase when waiting for the Pelican to land, a well-timed shot from a distance isn’t going to spare a teammate from an errantOrbital 380Mm He Barragestill raining intermittent explosions in the area or a scorcher hulk’s flamethrower. Players are already capable of healing teammates directly if they possess spare stims and are beside one another, but they rarely do.
So expecting them to do so with a utility item that would occupy a secondary weapon slot is going to go a long way in demonstrating whetherplayers wish to be actively benevolent in service of their fellow Helldiversor not. Either way, nobody could blame players for not wanting to holster the Stim Pistol, and its use a week or so after the release of the “Chemical Agents” Premium Warbond will be interesting to see.
