After what seemed like a lifetime battling the Illuminate,Helldivers 2has promptly whisked players back onto Automaton-invaded soil for a new Major Order. Squids do still have a ton to offer, and it’s unlikely that they’ll be on the bench for long, yet it’s fantastic that Arrowhead has chosen to pivot to bots forHelldivers 2’s latest MO.
Helldivers 2’s current Major Order, with six days remaining and 50 medals to earn, reads:
Furthermore, as perHelldivers 2’s mission/campaign briefing, the Jet Brigade reads:
“The Automatons have deployed a new series of specialized models on this planet. These upgraded bots utilize stolen Jump Pack technology, heartlessly pillaged from the bodies of fallen Helldivers and reverse-engineered into something nearly unrecognizable.”
Indeed, while it may not mean that Helldivers have a new bot enemy type on their hands, an alarming nightmare has come to pass. Players will notice here, on Bekvam 3 and Curia, for the time being, that Hulks and Devastators can soar into the air.
Helldivers 2’s Major Order Returns to Bots, and They’re Not Back Empty-Handed
AlongsideHelldivers 2’s Automaton homeworld leak, Hulks and Devastators receiving Jump Pack technology is a compelling enough incentive for players to dive into bot sectors once more. They wouldn’t be the first bots to be able to fly, but Hulks and Devastators are easily two of the most tedious bot enemies to battle inHelldivers 2and have undeniably become more of a nuisance with the ability to ‘fly.’
Hulks, in particular, require a lot of firepower to cut down, though they were always manageable if players maintained distance or flanked them. Now, Hulks and Devastators’ enhanced mobility allows them to close that distance much quicker. They’re no harder to fell if players have a properHelldivers 2Automaton loadout; however, engaging in close-quarters combat at a moment’s notice with Hulks and Devastators hot on players’ tails will surely be a learning curve, and different weapons may offer a more ideal output in varying circumstances.
For example, the R-36 Eruptor is traditionally as phenomenal against squids as it is against bots. But, if a Devastator finds itself standing directly in front of the player, it can put them in a dicey situation where firing the rifle will result in both of their demises—or worse, the player ragdolling backward with guaranteed injuries that’ll require nursing.
This is even troublesome inHelldivers 2’s Evacuate High-Value Asset missions, where Hulks and Devastators can now bound over defensive compound walls and structures, rather than doggedly trudging into players’ lines of sight.
What a New Bot MO Could Mean for Helldivers 2’s Near Future
Helldivers 2’s Hulks and Devastatorsbeing able to fly is not a monumental upgrade in the grand scheme of whatHelldivers 2has introduced lately, but it could be a mere taste of what’s to come if Automatons are allegedly on the docket as the newest event faction after the Illuminate recently had their own heyday. Nevertheless, flying Hulks and Devastators make any encounter doubly anxiety-inducing, such as when players are enduring on an extraction site and suddenly have tanky bots to contend with that weren’t there seconds ago.
It’s too early to say with certainty if bots will have another massive presence soon, much less if Hulks and Devastators will permanently possess Jump Pack technology or relinquish it after this Major Order. In the meantime, it’s refreshing to be face-tanking Factory Strider and Fortress turrets again with an MO pitting players against bots for the next week.
