First Major Helldivers 2 Update Announced for August

Are you ready to get torn up by terrifying new Terminids and Automatons? This morning, Arrowhead announced that Escalation of Freedom, the “first major update” for Helldivers 2, is on the way for August 6th. It will include fresh objectives, enemy types, planets, and an upped difficulty setting that promises even more pain.

As for the new foes, the Impaler from the original Helldivers will make their return, a big bruiser enemy that traps you with tentacles if you try to escape. There’s also the Spore Charger, a variation on this already aggressive Terminid that spreads fog, which makes them difficult to spot. Automatons will get Rocket Tanks, forcing you to approach or retreat so you don’t get demolished from afar.

As for the additional objectives, there will be missions where you carry a Terminid larva, attracting additional swarms en route to the drop-off point. There will also be new planets, like an ominous swamp, as well as fresh weather effects, like acid rain that increases damage for allies and enemies. Another smaller update addresses “grief kicking,” where trolls would kick teammates right before extraction. Now, the kicked player maintains their loot in a new session.

And perhaps the biggest change will be the inclusion of a new difficulty, Combat Rating 10 “Super-Helldive.” Arrowhead described this as “a real progression” from the previous highest difficulty that will feature even more enemies, and as someone who just recently played difficulty 9 for the first time, it will be interesting to see just how many more adversaries can fill the screen. There will also be a new type of suped-up outpost that will feature better rewards.

Helldivers 2 launched to massive popularity, making it one of the breakout gaming success stories of 2024, but there have been some significant bumps in the road. The highest profile case was back in May when the studio announced an upcoming update would make it mandatory to link a PlayStation account on Steam to continue playing, something particularly upsetting in regions where PSN accounts aren’t supported. Sony eventually backed down on the policy, but the game has hit other snags, like criticisms over balancing decisions and disappointment over the perceived lack of substantial updates, causing player drop-off.