If You’re Not Using This One Helldivers 2 Gun For Missions, You’re Doing It Wrong

In the varied arsenal of Helldivers 2, one weapon in particular stands out for its power, versatility, and its ability to trivialize certain objectives or enemies. As the game has gotten past its first few weeks, ironing out many of its initial server issues, players have begun to pick out which of the game’s weapons are generally the best, with options like the Railgun and the Breaker shotgun outshining some of their competition. As the playerbase settles on a defined meta, however, some weapons might be flying somewhat under the radar.

While most players will still tend to use the loadouts that they want, the general meta of Helldivers 2 currently revolves mostly around three options – the SG-225 Breaker shotgun as a primary weapon, the RS-422 Railgun, and the SH-32 Shield Generator Pack. A loadout including these three options allows players to use the Breaker for dealing with crowds and close-range enemies, the Railgun for armored threats, and the Shield Generator Pack for extra survivability, which is especially important in high difficulties, where even a stray hit can quickly snowball into death.

The Autocannon Is One Of Helldivers 2’s Best Weapons

However, outside the more standard meta options, players have also identified the AC-8 Autocannon as one of Helldivers 2‘s best overall weapons. While it has a few notable downsides compared to the Railgun, which is generally considered to be the best support weapon in the game, the Autocannon also has many distinct advantages. Most notably, the Autocannon can easily destroy many structures, something that the Railgun is completely incapable of doing – well-placed Autocannon shots can destroy Terminid Nests, Automaton Fabricators, and even larger, more specialized objectives like Spore Spewers and Radio Towers.

While these objectives can also be easily destroyed with stratagems like the Eagle Airstrike, one particular advantage of the Autocannon is its ability to destroy structures from long range – especially on higher difficulties, getting in close to an enemy encampment can be very risky, and gives nests or factories the time to spawn in more enemies. However, given a clear line of sight, the Autocannon can easily target the vulnerable spots of any structure from long range and destroy them, sometimes with as little as a single shot, and no need to adjust aim to account for distance.

Moreover, although the Autocannon isn’t as good at dealing with heavily armored targets as weapons like the Railgun, it’s still more than capable of dealing with enemies up to and including Helldivers 2‘s Automaton Tanks – and compared to other support weapons that require separate ammo backpacks, like the Recoilless Rifle and the Spear, the Autocannon’s backpack carries much more ammo, and the weapon itself is relatively quick to reload even for a player loading their own weapon without any assistance from a squadmate.

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The Downsides Of The Autocannon In Helldivers 2

However, while the Autocannon is a worthwhile and versatile weapon, it does have some notable downsides, especially compared to support weapons like the Railgun or Grenade Launcher. Most notably is that the Autocannon requires one player to carry its ammo backpack, which prevents that player from using the powerful options of the Shield Generator Pack or “Guard Dog” Rover, both of which are among the most effective Stratagems currently available. Especially in higher difficulties, having to devote a backpack slot to an ammo pack starts to become less and less appealing.

Additionally, while the specific attributes of the weapon can come in handy, they can also sometimes make the Autocannon feel like an awkward middle ground between “lighter” support weapon options like the Machine Gun or Grenade Launcher, and heavier options more devoted to taking out single threats, like the Railgun or Spear. In particular, the Grenade Launcher can destroy many of the same structures that the Autocannon can, and the Railgun can deal with armored targets much more effectively – and with neither option requiring a dedicated ammo pack, choosing the Autocannon can sometimes be hard to justify.

Like with most games, the meta, as much as it actually matters in a PVE setting, is likely to change, especially as many of Helldivers 2‘s bugs are fixed in future patches. While the Autocannon’s downsides can sometimes make it difficult to work with, the weapon’s distinct advantages can also shine during long, difficult missions – and even outside its actual effectiveness or place in the meta, the Autocannon’s visual feedback, sound design, and recoil make it one of Helldivers 2‘s most satisfying weapons to use.

Helldivers 2

Helldivers II is the follow-up to the 2015 multiplayer top-down single-player/co-op shooter from Arrowhead Game Studios. The sequel, which has shifted gears to a third-person shooter format, drops players into the boots of elite super-soldiers who fight to protect Super Earth from invading alien forces while taking the fight to those who threaten the “democracy of Super Earth.”

Franchise

Helldivers

Released

February 8, 2024

Developer(s)

Arrowhead Game Studios AB

Publisher(s)

PlayStation Studios

ESRB

M

Prequel(s)

Helldivers