Summary

• Helldivers 2 is set to receive its largest content update yet, called Escalation of Freedom.
• The new additions revealed so far have a noticeable focus on the Terminids.
• Automatons are generally more interesting to fight, and the update feels as though it's leaving them behind.

new Escalation of Freedom additions have been revealed, developer Arrowhead Game Studios assures players there are surprises on the way as well. What has been announced, however, showcases a worrying skew catering to the Terminid front of the Second Galactic War.

My PS5 tells me I'm approaching nearly 150 hours played in Helldivers 2 since launch, and I've thoroughly enjoyed every minute – even those early matchmaking bugs couldn't sour the enthusiasm that seeped into my Helldivers 2 review. While it was still fresh, and I was playing frequently, I usually followed the active Major Order, dividing my efforts between the Terminids and Automatons. As I've transitioned to hopping on sparingly with friends, though, I find myself gravitating toward the bots, with missions on that front much more compelling than their bug counterparts. Now I'm worried a new trend is emerging with Escalation of Freedom.

Only One New Automaton Unit Has Been Revealed For The Helldivers 2 Update

Escalation Of Freedom Already Has Three New Terminids Confirmed

With the announcement of Escalation of Freedom, a significant amount of the new content coming to Helldivers 2 on August 6, 2024, was revealed. It's an understandable move; although I've so far enjoyed being surprised by new additions, keeping up the illusion of an organically evolving conflict, the game is not nearly as popular as it was closer to launch, and letting players know that plenty of new content is on the way is likely to attract some back. Still, the new update seems to so far heavily favor the Terminids.

The Automatons' relatively minute focus suggest the Terminids will continue their run as the preeminent foes in Helldivers 2.

Three new bug units are coming to Helldivers 2 in Escalation of Freedom, with one entirely novel, albeit another carryover from the original Helldivers. The Alpha Commander is a more formidable variant of the Brood Commander, the Spore Charger similarly ups the danger of the Charger, and the Impaler is the brand-new threat, using its tentacles to attack Helldivers and prevent them from fleeing engagements.

Conversely, the Automatons are set to receive only one new unit so far, the Rocket Tank. It's ittedly a fun addition, especially with the versatility that comes from its ability to be used as a mobile artillery battery. Although there may ultimately be the same number of new units for each enemy faction once the Escalation of Freedom update actually releases, the apparent skew and the Automatons' relatively minute focus suggest the Terminids will continue their run as the preeminent foes in Helldivers 2.

The Rocket Tank's battery can tilt up and down, able to fire at Helldivers in front of it, or up into the air to strike distant targets.

The Terminids Are More Popular Than The Automatons In Helldivers 2

But The Automatons Are More Fun

While the Second Galactic War has been raging on two fronts since Helldivers 2 launched, battling on bug-infested planets has been the significantly more popular side of the conflict. Anecdotally, this may have started because of the bots' daunting reputation they accrued in the game's infancy. The tutorial has players facing off against Terminids, and the game subtly pushes you to the Terminid front for your first missions. The game also felt largely marketed around fighting the hordes of insectoid enemies (see its cover art above), and is clearly inspired by Starship Troopers.

While I too gravitated toward the bugs initially, hearing horror stories of lasers cutting through the underbrush on Malevelon Creek, aka "robot Vietnam," I believe the Automatons have emerged as the far more interesting faction in of gameplay. Fighting the bugs is still fun, certainly, but I find most missions – at least on higher difficulties – devolve into constantly running from the ever-repopulating swarm. Their overwhelming numbers clash with one of Helldivers 2's chief gunplay elements: establishing a position and mitigating recoil by holding still, coordinating fire with your squad.

The game is made more compelling by the simple inclusion of enemies that shoot back.

A Helldive mission against the bots is similarly chaotic, but the game is made more compelling by the simple inclusion of enemies that shoot back. A coordinated squad, moving from cover to cover, dodging incoming bot lasers and rockets between objectives more frequently elicits the satisfaction that originally gave me such a high opinion of Helldivers 2. Secondary objectives like Detector Towers and Stratagem Jammers also have more impact on a mission, forcing players to improvise and promoting the game's often underutilized stealth mechanics.

I Hope Escalation Of Freedom Isn't The Start Of The Automatons Taking A Back Seat

Parity In Helldivers 2 Shouldn't Be Abandoned Just Because More Players Fight The Bugs

In all likelihood, the Escalation of Freedom trailer's focus on new Terminids is probably just a smart marketing decision. While Helldivers 2 still has a significant number of daily players, it's a far cry from the unexpected success it had in its first couple of months. The debacle surrounding mandatory PSN linking (which Sony has since walked back) likely killed a lot of enthusiasm from the PC crowd, but the reality is that the game has remained largely stagnant. More players seem to prefer fighting bugs, so it makes sense to ensure that the larger group knows more interesting content is coming.

Even with that in mind, I can't shake the feeling that the Automatons are now playing second fiddle, and will start to lag behind the Terminids in of updates. Optimistically, this could just mean that the bugs will be in a more interesting place following Escalation of Freedom. The two-front war is part of what makes Helldivers 2 so fun, though, and the two factions thus far evolving at a similar pace has kept some much-needed variety in a game that largely has the same gameplay loop in every mission.

The trailer briefly teases a new type of jetpack Automaton, a variant with ranged weapons, whereas the current ones are melee-only. Hopefully, this means my worries are unfounded, and Arrowhead is simply keeping its cards close to the chest. Helldivers 2 is such a refreshing take on the live-service monetization model, and I expect myself to come back to it frequently for quite a while. It would be unfortunate to have my enthusiasm hampered by my favorite aspect getting relegated.