Helldivers 2 is gearing up for its most expansive update yet, slated for release in August. This major expansion will feature heightened challenges, an array of new mission types, and additional content. Titled "Escalation of Freedom," the update is set to land on the 6th of August, with insights shared on the PlayStation Blog by Katherine Baskin, Arrowhead's social media and community manager.
The patch will introduce novel adversaries, including a crowd-pleaser from the original installment, and aims to address the issue of disruptive player removal. In line with its name, "Escalation of Freedom" will unveil Combat Rating 10, an advanced level of Helldive that promises to ramp up the intensity of gameplay. "Super Helldive stands as our most formidable dive challenge yet—we anticipate it will deliver the level of extreme engagement players seek in combat. With increased difficulty comes superior rewards," Baskin noted on the blog.
The update will incorporate new mission directives and enlarge the scale of enemy bases, complete with fresh Super Sample rewards. These directives will be accessible across various difficulty tiers, including but not limited to CR 10.
A return of the menacing Impaler from the first installment, along with the introduction of the enigmatic Spore Charger - an enhanced variant of the existing Charger shrouded in mist - as well as the powerful Terminid Alpha Commander, beefed up from the Brood Commander, are among the new adversaries.
Upgraded automated units like the robust Rocket Tank, among others, will also be included. Additionally, the game's swamp environments will undergo a transformation, featuring dense fog, darkened flora, and a spooky ambiance.
Arrowhead is also tackling the issue of disruptive player removal, where certain individuals misuse the team dismissal feature. The forthcoming update will implement a new system that moves displaced players to a new session as the primary participant, preserving any gathered loot from their prior session. Meanwhile, the original session's participants will get an informative message in the chat window.
"With these changes in place, every player can complete their missions retaining their loot, ensuring no one Helldiver is left at a disadvantage," Baskin asserted. "We are devoted to enacting improvements that will refine the playing experience and foster constructive, team-oriented play."
Improvements to the social interaction menu are on the horizon to simplify the process of joining games with friends. Helldivers 2 has quickly become the most rapidly selling game on PlayStation, moving 12 million units across PC and PlayStation 5 since its debut—a fact highlighted in Sony's financial report in May. This impending update also corroborates statements from Arrowhead CEO Shams Jorjani, indicating that Helldivers 2 will not feature a narrative-driven campaign mode.