Helldivers 2 has received a big new update, Heart of Democracy, that sees the fight move to the streets of Super Earth.
Until now, the game’s battles against bugs and robots alike have taken place on alien planets. But now Super Earth itself has been invaded by the squid-like Illuminate, towering over skyscrapers and crowded city streets.
Players will need to activate the Planetary Defense Cannons on Super Earth alongside SEAF troops, but must simultaneously protect civilians on the streets – friendly fire will be punished.
“The worst nightmare of all those who fight for Managed Democracy has been made a grim reality,” reads a notice on the Helldivers 2 Discord.
“Despite the valiant efforts of our Helldivers to push back the fleet, the Illuminate have reached Super Earth. Now they are swarming our cities, terrorizing citizens, and destroying our infrastructure. It’s time to rise up and take arms and fight for the precious foundations and soil of Democracy manifest. Helldivers, return to our planet and defend what is rightfully ours.”
The invasion was pre-empted last week with an update that saw the Illuminate setting a course for Super Earth, with new enemies to fight.
The update also added weapon customisation, which allows new attachments to be unlocked as weapons level up.
“Last week, we released a powerful primary weapon customisation system and expanded surplus options to fight against the Illuminate as they emerged from the singularity,” reads a PlayStation Blog post about the update. “Now that you have learned the tactics of these new squid troops – like the Crescent Overseer and the hulking Fleshmob – you must master these tools to continue the fight on Super Earth. Use every available resource, divers, and decimate their forces!”
On Steam at least, these latest updates have seen player numbers rise to their highest since December 2024, when the Omens of Tyranny update was released.
Back in January, Helldivers 2 creative director Johan Pilestedt said he would be taking a sabbatical and will begin development of Arrowhead’s next game on his return.
Then, at the Game Developer Conference, he discussed the state of the industry, calling industry layoffs “unnecessarily brutal” while “chasing after the battle royales”.