The M7S SMG arrived in Helldivers 2 as part of the Halo crossover content, and for many longtime Halo players, this weapon should have been an instant nostalgic win. It does look great at first glance. The design team nailed the iconic visual style, from the suppressed barrel to the clean, compact frame that Halo ODST players know so well. Even the caseless ammunition detail is faithful to the source material. Everything you see on the surface is impressively accurate.
But once you start firing the weapon in an actual mission, the problems show up quickly. As someone who has spent a lot of time experimenting with different guns in Helldivers 2, the M7S stands out for all the wrong reasons. It should feel fast, precise, and reliable. Instead, its performance is nowhere near what fans expected, especially when compared to its Halo counterpart.
One common question players have right now involves farming resources efficiently. While checking community discussions on topics like how to buy helldivers 2 medals through third party services such as U4GM, I often see the M7S come up as a weapon people want to use during missions but end up avoiding because it simply underperforms. And honestly, I understand why. When your team is counting on you to clear enemies before they swarm, you need a gun that actually delivers.
So let’s break down why the M7S feels weak and what could make it a competitive SMG again.
The first issue is its fire rate. In Halo 3 ODST, the weapon fired at 900 rounds per minute. In Helldivers 2, it sits at 872. While that difference may sound small on paper, SMGs rely heavily on fire rate to stay effective at close range. Even a slight reduction changes how quickly it can shred through lighter enemies. Combine this with the weapon’s noticeable sway and you already feel like you’re fighting the gun instead of the bugs.
The second and much bigger issue is range. The recent patch introduced increased drag to all SMGs, but the M7S suffers from it more than any other. Before the patch, it handled mid range engagements surprisingly well. You could reliably take out scavengers, pouncers, or even bot troopers at distances where most SMGs start to struggle. Now the effective range has dropped across the board. A scavenger that used to fall in one shot at around forty meters now takes two shots at thirty five meters or more. Warriors and bot units have similar problems. Nothing dies faster than before. You only lose range.
This is especially frustrating because in Halo ODST, the SMG was known for strong mid range performance when tap fired. Here, you get none of that. Even the suppressor, which should help with recoil control and accuracy, is currently broken. It doesn’t make the gun quieter and doesn’t help with enemy detection, which removes one of the main advantages of using a suppressed weapon in the first place.
If you’re trying to farm helldivers 2 medals for progression purposes, you’ll quickly notice how much harder missions feel when your primary weapon loses effectiveness at distances where you used to be comfortable. It becomes a tool that limits your options rather than expanding them, and players naturally drift toward stronger SMGs or rifles instead.
Another point of debate is armor penetration. In Halo lore, the M7S used M443 caseless full metal jacket ammo. It was great for tearing through unarmored and lightly armored enemies, and there are even old developer notes mentioning that it could chew through Brute armor. In Helldivers 2, however, its armor penetration feels inconsistent. Some players argue it should get medium armor penetration. Others believe accuracy and range should be prioritized instead. Personally, I think giving it strong performance against unarmored targets and a clear identity as a precision SMG would make it feel unique without breaking balance.
So how do we fix the M7S? First, the developers need to increase its effective range. SMGs shouldn’t be long range weapons, but this one in particular was designed to shine slightly beyond close quarters. Reducing sway would also help bring it closer to how it behaved in Halo ODST. A working suppressor should be a priority too. If the weapon is being balanced around the idea of a functional suppressor, then it needs to actually work in game. Once those issues are addressed, the M7S could finally become the reliable hybrid SMG it was meant to be.
Right now, though, the weapon sits at the bottom of the SMG category. It looks amazing but feels frustrating. And for a crossover item that could have been a highlight of the update, that’s a real shame. With some focused tuning, the M7S could easily become one of the most enjoyable weapons for close to mid range combat, especially for players who want a lightweight gun that can still handle precision moments.
In short, the M7S has potential, but it needs serious adjustments to meet expectations.
The M7S SMG is visually faithful and lore accurate, but its performance in Helldivers 2 is far below what players hoped for. Reduced effective range, unnecessary sway, an underwhelming fire rate, and a broken suppressor hold it back. With buffs to range, accuracy, and functionality, it could finally become the solid mid range SMG it deserves to be.
