Best Helldivers 2 loadouts after the Deep Freeze update

Cold-weather stratagems, the armour perk that matters and why the flamethrower is back. This guide exists because the first few hours of Best Helldivers 2 loadouts after the Deep Freeze are where most players quit, and almost none of those quits are necessary. Here is what the Arcade Porch desk wishes someone had told us.

Before you start

• Turn on the accessibility option that enlarges the mini-map; it is off by default and changes everything.
• Pick the second starting option — it is slower for ten minutes and better for forty hours.
• Do not spend your first currency on cosmetics; the first shop upgrade is the best value in the game.

The essentials, in order

The opening area has one hidden save point that halves the run-back to the first boss. It is behind the breakable wall to the left of the second ladder — if you have been running past it, that is why the opening felt punishing. From there, the critical path is linear until the hub opens up, at which point the game expects you to choose.

Build recommendations

For the first act we recommend the defensive loadout: it costs you a little damage and buys you an enormous margin for error while you learn enemy patterns. Switch to the aggressive build once you can clear the training arena without healing. Players who switch earlier usually swap back within an hour.

Common mistakes

• Over-exploring before the first upgrade — the early map is designed to be revisited.
• Ignoring the shop’s rotating stock; two items only appear in the first act.
• Fighting the optional mini-boss at level one. It is optional for a reason.

Nico will keep this Arcade Porch guide updated with each patch; the changelog is at the bottom so you can see exactly what changed and when.