Helldivers 2 Is Taking The Game To The Last Place You’d Expect
Right in the heart of democracy!
All week long, the Illuminate of Helldivers 2 has been pushing back hard against the defenders of democracy in deep space. And it looks like their ongoing campaign will reach unprecedented levels of success, as a PlayStation social media account has spilled the beans on the surprising location Helldivers will have to defend in the very near future: the heart of democracy, Super Earth itself.”
Just days after the alien Illuminate began pouring out of the blackhole that players created about a year ago, it seems their ultimate plan to strike the human homeworld will come to fruition imminently. As first pointed out by Reddit user xTekshi, PlayStation’s Czech Republic account shared a post on Threads teasing the next major update for the game, titled “Heart Of Democracy.” While the post is in Czech, translating the text to English reveals a terrifying reality: “All Helldivers must report to their Hellpods immediately. The battle for humanity itself is about to begin!” The post says the event is scheduled to begin May 20.
The current Major Order in progress, which had players fighting to prevent a Super Earth invasion before it begins, is scheduled to end on the same day. The trailer for this major order even includes the term “Heart Of Democracy,” seemingly a subtle tease of the fight head.
A Super-Earth invasion is sure to have big story implications on Helldivers 2’s ongoing metanarrative. But battling the home planet also means fighting in the most urban environments the game has seen yet: Super Earth’s megacities. And somehow, a YouTube creator called IronS1ghts has leaked a first look at these densely packed battlefields.
The early look features cities with hilariously punny names like Port Mercy, Eagleopolis, and York Supreme. The brief gameplay also shows players fighting alongside AI-controlled allies. The game’s map menu also suggests players will encounter civilians fleeing the invasion. It looks like an interesting change of pace from the more untamed outposts players are used to defending.
PlayStation and Arrowhead are of course being quiet about the matter. However, as reported by PC Gamer, Arrowhead CEO Shams Jorjani had a pretty cheeky response when someone asked about the inclusion of city maps in the game: a “keep it down” emoji.
The fight against the Illuminate will make landfall on Super Earth as early as next week according to a handful of new leaks.
For now, players will have to continue the fight against the Illuminate abroad. The game’s latest update saw the Illuminate bolster their ranks with new, more powerful allies and technology including the flying Stingray which attacks Helldivers from the skies, and the Crescent Overseer, which can target Helldivers hiding behind cover.
The scariest of the new enemies however is the Fleshmob, an Illuminate Frankenstein’s monster-type brute more durable than anything else in the alien army. The three new enemy types are also joined by “other, even larger ships,” meaning reinforcements are likely bigger than ever. These new additions, and what’s been teased for the weeks to come, make it a pretty good time for lapsed players to return to the fight for democracy.
