The most recent Helldivers 2 update brought significant changes to the game’s diverse arsenal of weapons, but not without some caveats. The Punisher Plasma now has a new interaction with the Shield generator of the explosive kind, and players are left confused if this was added intentionally.
Helldivers 2 – I tested EVERY new weapon in the Freedom's Flame Warbond
The SG-8P Punisher Plasma weapon can no longer be used properly when you have the Shield generator equipped. If you fire the plasma while the Shield is around you, it will bounce back and explode, dealing significant damage but not enough to kill you. This was not the case before, and seems to have become an issue since Helldivers 2 Patch 01.000.300. The update introduced numerous changes to the game’s weapons and gameplay, and one tweak may have caused this odd interaction.
While it hasn’t been formally addressed yet, players are speculating that the update’s addition of ricocheting bullets that can hit a Helldiver is malfunctioning. The Shield can be identified as Automaton armor and ricochets bullets off of it, which are always intended to hit the Helldiver. “Trigger discipline is recommended,” the Arrowhead devs wrote regarding the Automaton ricochets, but it seems like they should have warned us not to use Shields either. The issue appears to only affect the Punisher Plasma, and it will likely be fixed in the next hotfix. In the meantime, avoid using the two together, or switch to the Punisher Plasma while your Shield is charging.
The latest update to Helldivers 2 saw a ton of buffs and nerfs across the spectrum, from enemies to weapons to gameplay systems. Automatons were primarily targeted and were buffed most often with added resistances, more spawns on solo missions, and added mobility.
