In recent months, we’ve regularly seen posts stating things like “Fire damage has been completely ruined”, “AH has destroyed all incendiary weapons to balance the Coyote” and similar statements.

The question is : is this a factual truth, or is it a perception that is perhaps a little too subjective?

It all began with the release of patch 4.1.0 (Into the Unjust, 23 October 2025), which updated the previous version (1.004.002, 16 September 2025). In the patch notes, we can read various changes, for example :

• Fleshmob : Slightly less vulnerable to fire to balance health decrease.
• Elevated Overseer : Slight increase in how easily it can be set on fire.
• Warriors : Slightly harder to set on fire Devastators : Slightly harder to be set on fire
• And so on

Shortly afterwards, widespread discontent began to emerge, the main cause being that ‘fire damage had been butchered to the ground simply to balance the Coyote’.

Let’s take a closer look. First of all, we need to understand how status effects work in Helldivers 2.

In practical terms, each enemy may or may not be affected by the various status effects in the game (fire, stun, gas, etc.). To this end, the target will generally have two threshold values :

• Minimum threshold : Minimum value to start rolling for status application.
• Maximum threshold : Value at which probability of getting effect applied is 1.

Note that the buildup of status effects on a target diminishes after a certain amount of time once it has reached the maximum value and no further applications are made.

In practical terms, the minimum threshold provides a random chance to apply the status, whilst the maximum threshold guarantees its application.

Furthermore, enemies have a damage multiplier that can increase or decrease the damage of a status effect, generally depending on the target’s Main HP pool (larger targets take more status damage, whilst smaller ones take slightly less).

I would also like to point out that Thermite inflicts its own status effect (150 damage per second for 6.5 seconds), which is different from the fire status effect*.*

Now, let’s take a look at the status values of the various enemies in version 1.004.002 (i.e. before the rebalancing). Values below are listed as Min threshold ; Max threshold ; Multiplier.

-- Terminids --

Scavengers / Bile Spitters / Pouncers :

Target	Before	After	Changes
Scavenger (all strains) / Bile Spitter / Pouncer	0.5 ; 1.0 ; x0.5	0.5 ; 1.0 ; x0.5	None
Hunter (all strains)	1.0 ; 2.0 ; x0.7	1.0 ; 2.0 ; x0.7	None
Shrieker	1.0 ; 2.0 ; x1.0	1.0 ; 2.0 ; x1.0	None
Warrior (all strains)	2.0 ; 3.0 ; x1.0	2.1 ; 3.3 ; x0.8	+0,1 ; +0,3 ; -0,2
Hive Guard	2.0 ; 3.0 ; x1.0	2.1 ; 3.3 ; x0.8	+0,1 ; +0,3 ; -0,2
Spewer (all strains)	4.0 ; 6.0 ; x1.0	5.0 ; 6.5 ; x1.0	+1 ; +0,5 ; None
Brood / Alpha Commander	3.0 ; 5.0 ; x1.0	4.1 ; 5.5 ; x1.0	+1,1 ; +0,5 ; None
Stalker (all strains)	3.0 ; 5.0 ; x1.25	3.0 ; 5.0 ; x1.25	None
Charger (standard, spore, behemoth)	7.0 ; 10.0 ; x1.5	8.5 ; 10.0 ; x1.5	+1,5 ; None ; None
Rupture Charger	8.0 ; 12.0 ; x1.5	8.5 ; 12.0 ; x1.5	+0,5 ; None ; None
Impaler	8.0 ; 13.0 ; x1.7	8.5 ; 13.0 ; x1.7	+0,5 ; None ; None
Titan / Dragon	9.0 ; 13.0 ; x1.7	9.0 ; 13.0 ; x1.7	None
Hive Lord	- ; - ; x1.0	- ; - ; x1.0	None

So, is it a massive nerf, or a more moderate adjustment?

Firstly, fire damage has been nerfed in two specific scenarios : Warriors and Hive Guards. For all other terminids, fire damage REMAINS THE SAME.

-- Warriors --

• A warrior's Main health total is 325.
• Coyote status strength is 2.0 per hit.
• A full cycle of fire (x1.0) deals 100 dps for 3 seconds, for a total of 300 damage.
• At very long range – say, 200m – the Coyote’s low falloff means that a round will deal around 58 damage or 8 durable damage.

Even if we take into account the 20% durability of a warrior’s head or torso, a fire multiplier of x1 would mean that a single fire cycle would be fatal (as hitting any part would transfer enough damage to the Main to eliminate the remaining 25 HP).

By keeping a minimum threshold of 2.0, there was a chance of killing a warrior with a SINGLE Coyote shot, even at a very long range. If no proc, 100% chance to kill in 2 shots.

What's it like after the nerf ?

• Fire damage is lowered to 80/s, so 240 per cycle (leaving 125 Main HP).
• The minimum threshold has been raised from 1 to 2 shots.
• The maximum threshold goes up to 3.3, so you'll 2 hits kill a Warrior 100% of the time.

So basically, we’re going from “a chance to kill a warrior at sniper range with a single shot" to “100% chance killing a warrior in two shots, all the time”.

Is it a game-breaking nerf? No. A balance adjustment, yes.

Now you’re going to say, “Yes, but those adjustments ruined the other incendiary weapons, not the Coyote.”

No.

The Incendiary Breaker and the Cookout fire strength remain unchanged (0.6 per bullet).

Before the patch, 4 pellets for the minimum threshold and 5 pellets for the maximum threshold. After the patch, minimum threshold is unchanged and 1 more pellet (6 total) for the maximum threshold.

Because the multiplier has been reduced to 80%, it will generally take two fire cycles at long range instead of one. In any case, it is simpler and more logical to aim for the warrior’s head at shotgun range, without even needing to use fire.

Are we supposed to shoot from rifle range to set targets on fire with a shotgun? I don't know.

Is it a nerf ? Yes. Is the impact significant? I don't think so.

-- Hive Guards --

Same principle. Less fire damage to prevent a 2 fire cycle kill / 4 shots kill with the Coyote at very long range. Now, it will generally take 3 fire cycles to kill, and 2 hits to guarantee that a cycle is applied (whereas previously a single hit could be sufficient).

Same 4 pellets min threshold and 5 > 6 pellets max thresholds for the shotguns.

Again, is it a nerf, yes. Is it the end of the world ? No.

-- Spewers : SAME FIRE DAMAGE --

• Min threshold (4.0 > 5.0) : 2 > 3 hits with Coyote, 7 > 8 pellets with Cookout / Breaker IE.
• Max threshold (6.0 > 6.5) : 3 > 4 hits with Coyote, 10 > 11 pellets with Cookout / Breaker IE.
• Multiplier : Unchanged (x1), 300 damage per fire cycle.

-- Brood & Alpha Commanders : SAME FIRE DAMAGE --

• Min threshold (3.0 > 4.1) : 2 > 3 hits with Coyote, 5 > 7 pellets with Cookout / Breaker IE.
• Max threshold (5.0 > 5.5) : Unchanged, 3 hits with Coyote, 9 > 10 pellets with Cookout / Breaker IE.
• Multiplier : Unchanged (x1), 300 damage per fire cycle.

-- Charger, Behemoth Charger, Spore Charger : SAME FIRE DAMAGE --

• Min threshold (7.0 > 8.5) : 4 > 5 hits with Coyote, 12 > 15 pellets with Cookout / Breaker IE.
• Max threshold : Unchanged, 5 hits with Coyote, 17 pellets with Cookout / Breaker IE.
• Multiplier : Unchanged (x1.5), 450*0.65 (292) damage per fire cycle.

-- Rupture Charger : SAME FIRE DAMAGE --

• Min threshold (8.0 > 8.5) : 4 > 5 hits with Coyote, 14 > 15 pellets with Cookout / Breaker IE.
• Max threshold : Unchanged, 5 hits with Coyote, 20 pellets with Cookout / Breaker IE.
• Multiplier : Unchanged (x1.5), 450*0.65 (292) damage per fire cycle.

-- Impaler : SAME FIRE DAMAGE --

• Min threshold (8.0 > 8.5) : 4 > 5 hits with Coyote, 14 > 15 pellets with Cookout / Breaker IE.
• Max threshold : Unchanged, 7 hits with Coyote, 22 pellets with Cookout / Breaker IE.
• Multiplier : Unchanged (x1.7), 510*0.65 (331) damage per fire cycle.

-- Others : SAME FIRE DAMAGE, SAME THRESHOLDS --

• Scavenger (all strains), Bile Spitter, Pouncer.
• Hunter (all strains).
• Shrieker.
• Stalker (all strains).
• Bile titan.
• Dragonroach.
• Hive lord.

-- Conclusion (Terminids) --

Has the fire status been nerfed? Yes, in TWO specific cases. More specifically, to prevent helldivers from being able to eliminate very common swarm enemies (warriors and hive guards) too easily from very long range, whether using the Coyote or shotguns.

In all other cases, the fire damage remains UNCHANGED ; only the threshold values have been adjusted. On one hand, to limit hit-to-trigger ratio with the 45 rounds Coyote magazine, and on the other, to encourage the use of shotguns at slightly closer range (aiming to hit the target with as many pellets as possible).

Objectively speaking, the situation is a world away from what is often claimed in a number of comments.

I'll be reviewing the automatons and the Illuminists next.