Major Massive Escalation of Freedom update brings new bugs, bots, and larger outposts to Helldivers 2

Arrowhead has just revealed the next major update for Helldivers 2, Escalation of Freedom. It’s coming on August 6th and is the first major update for the game.

Features the ability to take on the new CR10 “Super-Helldive” difficulty, along with new mission objectives, larger enemy outposts, new bugs and bots, and environmental hazards.

Arrowhead has been constantly creating new narratives and directives for the game, though this will be the first of its kind to overhaul everything.

One of the key updates coming will be that Arrowhead will combat “grief kicking,” an issue that causes people to lose loot they would have previously received. The fix now is that “the player can pick up all items before extraction,” making it impossible for people to lose loot thanks to trolls.

Highlights of the update include the return of The Impaler and a new “super-powered Brood Commander” in the form of the Terminid Alpha Commander. There will also be a big change to the social menu, which has been a big issue for many who find the user experience dated and awkward.

It’s refreshing to see Helldivers 2 receive its first major update, especially considering the recent news that the game dipped below 10,000 players for the first time ever. This is likely due in part to Arrowhead’s summer break, which, while much-needed, likely caused player numbers to drop.

While it’s great to see new bugs, bots, and other gameplay improvements being fixed, beneath the surface are a number of more subtle and welcome changes, including overhauls to the kicking mechanics. Time will tell if HD2 can recover to the great heights it was at just a few months ago, but this is certainly a statement of intent from Arrowhead that they’re determined their IP is here to stay.

via PlayStation.