Major Order in Jeopardy: Helldivers 2 Struggles to Defend Planets
Less than three days remain on Helldivers 2’s latest major order, and the projections are grim. Super Earth has tasked the community with successfully defending 10 planets from enemy takeover, but over the weekend, we barely managed three. With a handful of new defense missions opening just hours ago, it’s looking like this major order might be a wash.
Uphill Battle Against Defeat: The Challenges for Super Earth
To be fair, the deck was stacked against us from the start. The community has racked up a handful of impressive collective milestones these last few months—the unexpectedly quick liberation of Tien Kwan, The Battle of Malevelon Creek, pulverizing two billion bugs in just over 12 hours—but we have a blind spot. We’re very good at tackling simple, focused goals in record time, but historically bad at coordinating when there are multiple targets on the board. Arrowhead knows this, and is exploiting it.
When there are too many planets to defend (or attack), no one planet gets enough active players to liberate in time. A planet with just hours left on its defense timer will sometimes go ignored by 200,000+ players fighting on less urgent, or strategically irrelevant planets.
The Power of the Community: Strategies and Collaborative Efforts
While most Helldivers 2 players don’t think about a major order beyond a brief popup window when they succeed, failed milestones are deeply felt by the small community of strategists. It’s in these public chat rooms and threads where fans study a fan-made galaxy map and formulate plans to complete major orders.
Recently, the Martale Gambit was devised by fans as a clever plan to cut off supply lines from Charon Prime by first capturing its neighbor, Martale. Such elaborate strategies are a testament to the dedication of the community. Unfortunately, the planet fell just short of liberation, but the efforts made were truly noteworthy.
Strategists versus Galactic Warriors: Balancing the Community
Arrowhead faces the challenge of engaging the community in the meta narrative while accommodating those who prefer a casual co-op shooter experience. The strategists, despite their small numbers, have limited impact on the player count of planets, unlike the casual players who choose their battles based on other factors. Therefore, Arrowhead does not enforce major orders by funneling players towards specific planets.
The Future Plans: Redemption Arc and Tactical Enhancements
Despite the current struggle in the galactic war, Arrowhead is planning a rebound. They understand the importance of providing players with something tangible to fight for, thus inviting more engagement. With a quiet period and the anticipation of a comeback, players can look forward to new challenges and possible unlocks, such as the long-awaited introduction of vehicles.
In the quest to enhance the tactical layer of the war map, Arrowhead intends to bring those hidden supply lines to the client itself, thereby facilitating communication between strategists and casual players. This change will ensure a more unified and immersive experience for all Helldivers 2 enthusiasts.
