Latest news with #Helldivers
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The President Is Dead (In Helldivers 2)
'The President of Super Earth has been killed in action by the Illuminate during the fall of Prosperity City.' That was the message that greeted Helldivers 2 players when they logged on last night in one last bid to repel their invading squid-like foes. Some truthers think the hit was inside job. When the dust settled Friday morning, the battle to save Super Earth was over and players had succeeded in winning the extraction shooter's biggest showdown since it launched. Pus they got a new battle station to celebrate. 'The devastation wrought upon our home is immense,' read the latest in-game dispatch from Arrowhead Game Studios. 'Only two Mega Cities remain standing: Prosperity City and Equality-on-Sea. The remainder have been vacated by the enemy, having suffered catastrophic damage at their hands.' New Major Orders are still pending, but in the meantime players get to vote on where to move the new DSS battle station that aided in the fight, and that provides extra military bonuses to Helldivers fighting on whatever planet it orbits. For anyone who missed the last two weeks, a brief series of entries on the Galactic Map recaps the events from the Illuminate's arrival and torching of Mars and other planets, all the way through players' epic last stand to protect Equality-on-Sea (Helldivers' version of Shanghai). A lot of creative military tactics were improvised and deployed to take down the massive invading Leviathan ships, and a wave of negative Steam reviews, purportedly from Chinese players angry, due to a potential mistranslation, about why they couldn't seem to fully liberate Equality-on-Sea, appears to have subsided. reddit-thread-Helldivers-1kz1lp4 What happens next is anyone's guess. Arrowhead Game Studios might take some time before kicking off whatever it has planned to let players catch their breath. Maybe the development team is lining up a revenge campaign, or maybe there's still another shoe to drop and Super Earth isn't quite in the clear after all. A new president? In this economy? Maybe they're just an Illuminate plant after all, ready to control Super Earth from within. The beauty of Helldivers 2's fascist space satire is that nothing is ever quite out of the question. May kicked off one of Helldivers 2's biggest balance patches and content updates in some time, including a new Warbond battle pass with additional melee weapons and the ability to level up and customize most of the shooter's guns. I wouldn't bet on any other big updates anytime soon. That said, Summer Game Fest is just around the corner and Arrowhead used host Geoff Keighley's last big gaming showcase to announce the addition of the Illuminate to the fray. Who knows what's in store for the second half of Helldivers 2's second year? . For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
AsiaOne
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- AsiaOne
Under siege? Helldivers 2's latest city to be invaded by aliens could be spoof of Singapore, Digital News
If peace in your (virtual) home faces an extra-terrestrial threat, would you answer the call to arms? For many gamers playing Helldivers 2, it seems this is no longer hypothetical, but a very real choice they must face as an alien invasion bears down upon a megacity that could be a spoof of Singapore. Helldivers 2, a game by Arrowhead Game Studios, follows the titular Helldivers, which are an elite group of soldiers protecting the Sol System from alien threats. Earlier in May, the game's version of Earth, known as Super-Earth, came under threat of invasion by an alien race known as the Illuminate, which are a technologically advanced race and the arch enemy of mankind. They had manipulated a black hole, guiding it towards Super-Earth, leaving behind planetary-level destruction in its wake before emerging from within the black hole once in proximity of Super-Earth. Of the seven megacities that inhabit Super-Earth, three have already fallen to the invasion, while three of the remaining four are currently under siege. The Illuminate have launched an attack on Port Mercy. — Helldivers Alerts (@HelldiversAlert) May 26, 2025 Of the three currently battling back the Illuminate invasion, Port Mercy — geographically similar to Singapore's location on Earth — is the latest to be struck by Illuminate forces. According to the game, Port Mercy, located near Java and Sumatra, has sheltered "millions of loyal refugees in the Last Great War" and is also a "safe haven for any Class-A citizen in need". A megacity named after a port, possibly a nod to Singapore's roots as a maritime hub, its environment bears some similarity to Singapore. Port Mercy features a sprawling metropolis with skyscrapers intermingled with low-rise residential areas, as well as portions of open space and greenery. The missions available to Helldivers are very defensively-oriented, such as protecting an area while a missile launches, or destroying Illuminate ships as they attempt to land on the city. Aside from the new environment that Helldivers must fight in, the game also features new enemies such as the Illuminate flesh mob — a gross amalgamation of human flesh — and Leviathans, which are giant floating ships that swim through the air, bombarding the ground with energy-based cannons. While it doesn't entirely capture Singapore's lush environment, culture or even the tropical climate, it's also worth noting that this invasion takes place in 2185 and in an entirely different solar system. Above all else, it's also fictional — but the glory that comes from protecting Super-Earth's managed democracy certainly isn't. [embed] [[nid:713943]] khooyihang@
Forbes
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Helldivers 2's Super Earth Illuminate Invasion Spikes Playercount Impressively
Helldivers 2 What could be the grand finale of Helldivers 2 is nigh, as Illuminate aliens have invaded Super Earth itself in an effort to exterminate mankind. And if any game might shut down completely if this happened, it's Helldivers and its impressively meta storylines (shut down for a little while, anyway). The new update brings new weapons, new Illuminate units and new city maps as the community bands together to push out the aliens and save the homeworld in a storyline where Mars and its colonies have already been completely glassed. It's one of Helldivers 2's biggest updates since launch, possibly its biggest period, and after it went live today, the playercount of the game has rocketed up like old times when 'story' events rallied players. The last time this happened was the original arrival of the Illuminate back in December of 2024, the first time the third race was seen in the game. That spiked players to 150,000 concurrents on Steam, the highest since its 450,000 launch. Now, the invasion of Super Earth event may be about to pass it, currently at 124,000 players and climbing as I write this at 9:30 AM ET, not exactly prime gaming time. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder Even during a 'bad stretch' Helldivers 2 is still doing 30,000 players a day at worst, and closer to 50,000-70,000 at nightly peaks. It remains one of the rare live service success stories that Sony has had amidst failures like Concord and cancellations like The Last of Us Factions. But developer Arrowhead is not an in-house studio and has announced that its next game will not be in collaboration with Sony and will instead be 100% funded and published by the studio itself, thanks to how much Helldivers 2 has earned. Helldivers 2 is not going away, but it's a little hard to imagine what story narrative could top the literal invasion of Super Earth by the Illuminate. I said the game might shut off if players lose as a joke but I mean, it's not impossible they might play this card at least for a short while (obviously they are not going to just shutter the game). Or the idea could be that this is the biggest win in Helldivers history, a patriotic victory for the ages. Whatever happens, it seems like now is the time to jump in and see what's going on if you're a lapsed player that may not have played since closer to launch or the last big update. Super Earth needs you, soldier. Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, Bluesky and Instagram. Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Helldivers 2 Patch Notes 01.003.000 - New weapon customization and progression, new Illuminate faction enemies, balance changes, and more
Helldivers 2 Patch 01.003.000: Patch Notes (Image via ArrowheadGS) Helldivers 2 just received the 01.003.000 patch that has added a ton of new content and features, addressed several bugs and glitches, and improved the in-game experience. One of the highlight features is the Weapon Customization system, where players can tailor their weapons to match their playstyle and unlock weapon attachments. A significant increase in player count was observed on Steam right after the release of this update. With over 104,000 players coming back to the game, it's safe to say this update has the community all hyped up, many of whom are clocking in multiple hours after the update rolled out. This article will list everything in the new Helldivers 2 01.003.000 patch notes . Helldivers 2 patch 01.003.000: Patch Notes Weapon Customization Gear up, Helldivers—your arsenal just got personal! With the new Weapon Customization system, you can now tailor your favorite weapons to match your combat style and preferences once you've progressed and unlocked different attachments. Whether it's tweaking sights for precision, changing color patterns, adjusting magazines for ammo capacity, muzzles to optimize weapon performance characteristics or adjusting underbarrels for the handling you want, you're in command of how your weaponry performs on the battlefield. Tinker in the menu, customize your specific weapon configs and switch between them during the mission loadout sequence. It's time to fight for Super Earth with weapons that are truly yours! We are aware of a bug that prevents players from canceling customization with a controller. We have a fix identified and prepared for our next hotfix. In the meantime, you can save the customization and then go in and do it again. New Illuminate Enemies Stingray: Jetfighters that provide Illuminate support from the sky, targeting Helldivers and lining up devastating strafing runs. Crescent Overseer: Has the ability to lay barrages on Helldivers in cover. Fleshmob: A failed Illuminate experiment made up of Voteless parts turned into a brute battlefield force that the Helldivers must work hard to destroy. Balancing Weapon balances: Spread Drag Sway Melee weapons stamina cost Shrapnel spawning Fire damage Spread: Spread refers to how much a projectile veers from the point you're aiming at when you fire. This rebalance primarily targets SMGs and sidearms, which previously had noticeably higher spread values. We've reviewed all primary, sidearm, and support weapons with the intent to significantly reduce spread overall, as it didn't make much sense for these specific weapons to have such high inaccuracy. Drag: Drag determines how quickly a projectile loses speed over distance, affecting its damage. We've increased drag for pistol-caliber ammunition (used in SMGs and some sidearms) to better represent its shorter, wider projectile compared to rifle rounds. As a result, these weapons will be slightly less effective at longer ranges. Sway: Sway refers to how much the weapon's aim shifts, influenced by factors like movement and stance. It represents the weapon's inertia and stability—so weapons with lower ergonomics will experience less sway, while those with higher ergonomics will have more. Sidearms will naturally have more sway than primaries due to the lack of support features like stocks. This balance patch specifically focuses on adjusting sway for primaries and sidearms. Stamina Cost: All melee weapons now consume less stamina when attacking, reducing the cost from 0.1 to 0.05. This change makes melee combat less punishing and allows for easier repositioning between strikes. The affected weapons include the CQC-30 Stun Baton, CQC-19 Stun Lance, CQC-5 Combat Hatchet, and the Entrenchment Tool. Shrapnel spawning: With this update, shrapnel will now always spawn in a full 360-degree spread, regardless of where the explosion occurs. This means weapons like the R-36 Eruptor will now more reliably hit the intended target with their shrapnel. In addition, we've adjusted shrapnel performance against armor. Shrapnel now has reduced effectiveness at poor impact angles, to reflect its lack of design for armor penetration in such situations. These shrapnel balance changes will impact the following weapons: R-36 Eruptor G-6 Frag Grenade AC-8 Autocannon Balance Changes: Armor Penetration decreased on shrapnel projectiles from 3-3-3-0 to 3-3-2-0 Each of these numbers represent an angle threshold, which means we've reduced the AP value of 3 to 2 in the last range where a shrapnel projectile would penetrate an enemy. Frag Grenade Increased Shrapnel spawned from 30 to 35 Autocannon Flak Increased Shrapnel spawned from 25 to 30 Fire and Flamethrowers: This update aims to better balance fire damage between direct hits (like those from flamethrowers) and burn effects over time, while also introducing scaling of fire damage depending on the size of the enemy. Previously, burn damage didn't scale well against larger enemies, making putting them on fire feel less effective in those encounters. Now, the larger the enemy, the more damage they take while burning. However, bigger enemies will also be slightly more resistant to ignition. Additionally, direct fire damage now scales with enemy size—so large enemies like Chargers will still take roughly the same damage as before, while smaller enemies will take slightly less. We have also increased the magazine capacity of the FLAM-66 Torcher and the FLAM-40 Flamethrower because putting stuff on fire is fun! Damage Burning damage now scales with enemy size and will do more damage over time to larger enemies Fire direct damage also scales with enemy size. The base damage of direct fire hits has been lowered as compensation. This means that large enemies will take roughly the same amount of damage as before, while smaller enemies will take slightly less Time to ignite Larger enemies now take longer to ignite Robotic enemies are harder to set on fire than organic ones Incendiary Ammunition and Lasers are now less effective at igniting enemies, but once they do, the resulting burn damage is more impactful thanks to the new scaling system The Helldiver The Helldiver is now slightly more resistant to being set on fire Burn damage taken by the Helldiver remains unchanged Primary weapons AR-23 Liberator Spread decreased from 4 to 2 AR-23P Liberator Penetrator Starting magazines increased from 5 to 6 Max spare magazines increased from 7 to 8 AR-23C Liberator Concussive Spread decreased from 24 to 4 StA-52 Assault Rifle Spread decreased from 4 to 2 AR-23A Liberator Carbine Spread decreased from 4 to 3 AR-61 Tenderizer Spread decreased from 4 to 1 SMG-37 Defender Spread decreased from 20 to 5 Drag increased from 0.3 to 0.6 Sway increased from 1 to 1.2 SMG-72 Pummeler Spread decreased from 20 to Drag increased from 0.3 to 0.6 Sway increased from 1 to 1.2 MP-98 Knight Spread decreased from 25 to 5 Drag increased from 0.3 to 0.6 Sway increased from 1 to 1.2 StA-11 SMG Spread decreased from 25 to 5 Drag increased from 0.3 to 0.6 Sway increased from 1 to 1.2 SMG-32 Reprimand Spread decreased from 40 to 5 Drag increased from 0.3 to 0.6 JAR-5 Dominator Sway decreased from 1 to 0.8 R-63CS Diligence Counter Sniper Sway decreased from 1 to 0.8 FLAM-66 Torcher Magazine capacity increased by 25% R-36 Eruptor Spread decreased from 10 to 5 Ergonomics increased from -14 to 25 Sway decreased from 1 to 0.8 Fire rate increased from 25 to 32 Fixed a bug that allowed players to cancel the Eruptor's round cycling animation, effectively increasing its fire rate The intent with these changes: The improvements made to the Eruptor are designed to compensate for the removal of the reload exploit, ensuring that its overall power remains steady or even improved PLAS-39 Accelerator Rifle Drag decreased from 1.5 → 0.1 Is now categorized as an energy weapon in the loadout menu The changes to drag means it wont lose speed and damage as it travels through the air and does the damage you would expect it to do Sidearm weapons GP-31 Ultimatum Is now affected by the Hellpod Optimization Booster Explosion damage increased from 1000 to 2000 Explosion inner radius decreased from 4 to 2 m Projectile damage decreased from 3500 to 1000 Demolition strength decreased from 50 to 40 Sway increased from 1 to 1.3 The intent with these changes: We want to maintain the Ultimatum's overall power level while rebalancing how that power is delivered—shifting more of the damage from the projectile itself to the explosion. Previously, the Ultimatum behaved more like a massive kinetic projectile (similar to the 380mm shell) because of its high projectile damage and relatively weaker explosion. This update reinforces its intended identity as a powerful explosive weapon, emphasizing high explosive damage over impact force Most heavy enemies will now die from a close hit instead of a direct hit, except for the Factory Strider Additionally, due to its reduced demolition strength, the Ultimatum will no longer destroy Stratagem Jammer Objectives or landed Illuminate Warp Ships through their shields. However, the dropships now have health, allowing the Ultimatum to destroy them once the shield is down P-2 Peacemaker Decreased Spread from 30 to 10 Sway increased from 1 to 1.2 P-19 Redeemer Decreased Spread from 35 to 10 Sway increased from 1 to 1.2 P-113 Verdict Decreased Spread from 30 to 8 Sway increased from 1 to 1.2 PLAS-15 Loyalist Decreased Spread from 25 to 10 Sway increased from 1 to 1.2 LAS-58 Talon Sway increased from 1 to 1.2 P-72 Crisper Sway increased from 1 to 1.2 GP-31 Grenade Pistol Sway increased from 1 to 1.2 LAS-7 Dagger Sway increased from 1 to 1.2 P-11 Stim Pistol Sway increased from 1 to 1.2 SG-22 Bushwhacker Sway increased from 1 to 1.3 P-4 Senator Decreased Spread from 30 to 8 Sway increased from 1 to 1.3 Stratagems Support Weapons RS-422 Railgun Decreased Spread from 10 to 0.1 FLAM-40 Flamethrower Magazine capacity increased by 30% Backpacks LIFT-850 Jump pack Increased break force on landing to make Helldivers less likely to ragdoll when landing Eagles Eagle 110mm rockets Stagger strength increased from 35 to 40 Increased armor penetration in certain angles Enemies Automatons Bunker Turret Spread increased from 20 to 50 Conflagration Devastator Reduced damage per pellet More pellets are now required to hit you to put you on fire Automaton Gunship Body armor value reduced from 4 to 3 Main body health increased to 950 from 700 Now shoots more and the aim is slightly more accurate Bulk Fabricator Health increased from 1500 to 5000 Conscripts There was a bug where the Conscripts reloaded after every shot, it's now been fixed so they only reload when they're actually out of ammo Terminids Spore Spewers Demolition level decreased from 60 to 50, making it easier to kill with heavy ordnance weapons Illuminates Landed Warp Ships Will now be easier to kill with Anti-Tank weaponry once the shields are down Fixes Resolved Top Priority issues: Crash Fixes, Hangs and Soft-locks: Fixed a crash which could occur when returning to your Super Destroyer from a host parked at a planet with the Democracy Space Station in orbit, if the Democracy Space Station had just moved to a new planet Fixed a crash when writing a specific sequence of text in the chat Fixed a crash that could occur after partially destroying an Automaton convoy Fixed crash when attempting to drop into a mission on Tien Kwan Weapons and Stratagems The SMG-37 Defender does not trigger the anti tank mines anymore Improved the effectiveness of flashlight attachments Fixed a bug that was causing the camera to be stuck in Aim Down Sights (ADS) mode when discarding the MLS-4X Commando when utilizing that camera mode Cancelling laser weapon reloads no longer gives them infinite ammo Miscellaneous Fixes Fixed an issue with intermittent flickering of distant visual effects Fixed an issue where the FRV and Helldivers embarked in it would get covered in blood after a Helldiver would attack the FRV from any passenger seat Spore Scavengers can now properly attack Vehicles now correctly show the appropriate enemy blood colors Lowered the target node for the Illuminate tesla tower so that the StA-X3 W.A.S.P. Launcher can properly hit it No longer shows the reconnect popup if the host leaves while on the Destroyer Fixed an issue that resulted in some cases where the momentum could get reset at the end of moving emotes Sample containers can now be properly pinged again Corrected misaligned logo of the Borderline Justice Warbond Fixed an issue with the illuminate Cognitive Disruptor not turning off correctly for hot joining players Decreased a big hitch that could occur during the dropdown sequence The game is now showing the correct amount of total samples on missions Fixed a bug that caused held stratagems to be stuck in Helldivers hands after taking fall damage Performance improvement in the particle subsystem Also read: Light No Fire Release Date, Storyline, Gameplay and More
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Helldivers 2's Illuminate Update Overhauls Combat, Cosmetics and the In-Game Economy
Arrowhead Game Studios' Helldivers 2 continues to expand with fresh content, as the team unveils a new Illuminate threat and updates to the Superstore in defence of Super Earth. A major update has landed on the battlefields of Helldivers 2. A new post on the PlayStation Blog has warned players of looming Illuminate forces spreading across the galaxy, and it's up to Super Earth's finest to hold the line. Patch 01.003.000 is now live on both PC and PlayStation 5, introducing more dangerous Illuminate enemies, significant changes to the Superstore, and new weapon customization options for the more style-conscious Helldiver. Arrowhead Game Studios has also released an official trailer for the patch, which can be viewed below. Since being introduced as a threat to the Super Earth way of life, the Illuminate have grown in both numbers and variety. Helldivers 2 has issued a Galactic Emergency, alerting all Helldivers to the expanding Illuminate scourge. After several warnings posted on social media, Arrowhead Game Studios has pulled back the curtain on new Illuminate enemy types. Among them is the Stingray, a jet-fighter-style adversary that provides aerial fire support for Illuminate forces. Another new threat is the Crescent Overseer, a unit capable of launching heavy barrages to flush Helldivers out of cover. Lastly, new intel has revealed failed Illuminate experiments known as the Fleshmob. These grotesque creations are the Illuminate's answer to Frankenstein's monster—assembled from 'voteless parts' and turned into brute battlefield enforcers. Helldivers will need to work together to take them down. Details remain scarce, and like previous adversaries, players will need to learn more about the Fleshmob through direct engagement in the field. To fight back the new threat, Helldivers 2 has given Helldivers the ability to customize their weapon load outs. Nearly every weapon in the game can now be personalized with new colourways, allowing Helldivers to express individuality on the battlefield. In addition to these cosmetic upgrades, players can now equip new weapon attachments to help eliminate threats to Super Earth with greater efficiency. Arrowhead has also deployed patterns for the FRV themes on Viper Commandos, Freedom's Flame, Chemical Agents, and Truth Enforcers Warbonds. These patterns unlock on May 15, with the launch of the Masters of Ceremony Warbond. In addition to the latest patch updates, Helldivers 2 has overhauled the Superstore to better serve players who don't log in daily. Previously, Superstore items would rotate out quickly, frustrating some fans. In response to player feedback, Arrowhead Game Studios has extended the duration items remain in the store. With today's update, Helldivers can now view all current Superstore offerings and make purchases at any time, eliminating the need to wait for future rotations. The new Helldivers 2 patch 01.003.000 is live now, and fans looking for more information on overall balance notes can visit the official Steam page for a detailed breakdown.
