Helldivers 2, despite having a relatively small number of constant variables between mission types and enemy factions, has endless longevity due to impromptu comedy and stakes, as well as a surprising amount of improvisation and personalization. If nothing else, it’s wonderful to feel bonded with other players as everyone works together in an effort to complete Major Orders, the primary source of narrative direction inHelldivers 2. Not every Major Order will be won, but it is intriguing to discern what factors aid or hinder players’ chances of winning them.
Helldivers 2’s current Major Order, with 2 days and 15 hours left, reads:
The final objective in thisHelldivers 2Major Order, at the time of this writing, sits at 1,623,176 (32.5%) operations completed. 57,454 Helldivers are active at the moment—at midday, no less—but it’ll take something of a miracle now for this MO to be successfully won. This may not be terribly alarming or unexpected, though, given how unreliable operation completion can be.
Helldivers 2’s Operation Completion is Easier Said Than Done
Helldivers 2missionsare thrilling for a variety of reasons, such as how much or little time players wish to spend in them. It can be aggravating if some players choose to sit on the extraction site with the Pelican landed for an extended period because it can be perceived as a waste of time, especially if the mission type was long and hard-won already.
Many players seem to enjoy prolonging a mission as long as possible, for whatever reason, when they can simply depart and begin a new mission to actually continue earningHelldivers 2’s Requisition slips, Super Credits, and samples.
This is particularly true for operations, which demand that players succeed in three predetermined missions in the order of their choosing. Of course, another consideration to make is whether or not to indulge in side objectives, such as exterminating bug holes andHelldivers 2’s Stalker Lairsor uploading escape pod data and terminating illegal broadcasts.
Side objectives can be all-encompassing and worthwhile with how many more rewards players earn, but they should not be prioritized before the main mission objective if doing so will inevitably drain players’ reinforcement pool or cost a great amount of time and put the whole operation in jeopardy.
It can be remarkably convenient if players decide to join SOS lobby and manage to make their way into the third and final mission of an operation that a host player has been enduring, as this SOS recruit will be treated to 15 medals—on level 10 Super Helldive difficulty—and can feel satisfaction in knowing they helped that host complete their operation. That said, every player hopping into random SOS lobbies is one less player initiating their own operation.
Operations eventually get finished if enough people are playing and enough people instigate an operation. But, with how few operations have been completed inHelldivers 2’s current Major Order, it seems like a tall order to ask players to complete 5,000,000 in less than a week, as they also require a decent time sink. Either way, MOs being so elaborate and taxing is arguably a great motivation for the playerbase, and their failures shouldn’t be indicative of players not enjoying such lengthy MO tasks. Operation completion is generally one ofHelldivers 2’s hardest challengesdue to player retention and focus, and having to finish so many in such a short amount of time is undeniable proof.
