Helldivers 2 has been a haven for Squiddivers for a long while, and not without good reason. The Battle of Super Earth win is remarkably fresh with players having urgently responded to Helldivers 2’s Galactic Emergency and, gameplay-wise, it’s been terrific to see the Illuminate threat strengthened while a new map type, Mega Cities, has debuted with epic and cinematic proportions. Plus, not long after the Helldivers avenged Super Earth, the Illuminate were already back to the forefront of democracy’s Galactic War with further Mega City invasions.
Helldivers 2’s latest Major Order had players kill 290,000,000 Illuminate and 2,900,000,000 Terminids, and was just recently completed.
It’s unclear how big of an emphasis on squids there will be with whatever is soon to follow this successful MO, but there’d be considerable pros and cons to Helldivers 2 drawing attention away from the Illuminate at this critical moment. It seems as if Squiddivers have finally hit their stride, for instance, with a ton of possibilities for future threats that the squids could provide. Plus, with how warped and disfigured Mega City skyscrapers have become, it would be alarming if their offense suddenly went quiet. However, Botdivers and Bugdivers deserve more love, too, and weapon customization won’t meet its full potential if the Illuminate is constantly obliged.
Helldivers 2’s New Major Order Shows Where Divers’ Hearts Lie
As Helldivers 2 continues to shower players with squid invasions, its latest Major Order splits the playing field with interesting results.
Helldivers 2’s Squiddivers are Living Their Best Lives Right Now
Squiddivers have been treated wonderfully in the past month with a massive focus on the Illuminate in grand, game-changing events, and Helldivers 2’s commemorative Protector of the Heart cape is a lovely memento of Super Earth. That said, there’s a case to be made that the Illuminate’s monopolization of MOs lately should only be the beginning. Players waited patiently for the Illuminate to arrive at Liberty’s doorstep, for instance, and now that they’re here, it would make sense to capitalize on the eerie sci-fi invasion motif it has immersed itself in with dominance in its own sectors.
New Illuminate faction enemy types would be unlikely in the near future since Fleshmobs and Interlopers were just added, yet a continued throughline for the squids could assist in sustaining Squiddivers while Botdivers and Bugdivers receive their fill at a later date. Bots and bugs have already had considerable heydays, to be fair, and squids still have a lot to offer.
Single-Faction Metas Can Undermine Helldivers 2’s Primary Weapon Customization
Rapidly oscillating enemy faction MOs would have a rare benefit provided to them by Helldivers 2’s recently launched primary weapon customization. Now, it can be legitimately practical for players to continue equipping and leveling different primary weapons as long as they have various bot, bug, and squid planets to hop between. If one faction is glued to, metas materialize and become unshakable.
Helldivers 2’s best Illuminate loadout quite invariably features the 
R-36 Eruptor Rifle, for example, and while it can be tremendously fun to wield, it can also become stale, like any primary that is cleaved to inseparably, once it’s fully leveled. With some weapons being more effective than others against a particular faction, having a planet to liberate that’s invaded by a faction players haven’t fought in a long time can be refreshing due to the revised loadout they’ll need to consider.
Of course, players are free and encouraged to equip any preferred primary on any mission, as it’ll only affect them and not their squad.
Part of the allure of weapon customization is that players can upgrade and enhance their whole arsenal and not merely one or two primaries, though only having a few guns sitting at level 25 is inevitable if players have already decided what their primary of choice will be for bots, bugs, and squids. Either way, Helldivers 2 indulging in a healthier rotation of faction MOs now would allow for players’ loadouts to be equally dynamic.
Helldivers 2
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 83 /100 Critics Rec: 91%
- Released
- February 8, 2024
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Arrowhead Game Studios, Nixxes
- Publisher(s)
- Sony Interactive Entertainment, PlayStation Publishing
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- bitsquid
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
- All platforms
- Franchise
- Helldivers
- Number of Players
- 1-4 players (online)
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter, Extraction Shooter, Action, Science Fiction
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
