In a new post on the PlayStation Blog, Arrowhead Game Studios has revealed their first major expansion for their hit PvE shooter Helldivers 2. a major update titled Escalation of Freedom. The update is set to release on August 6, and will feature new enemies, missions, a new difficulty level, and more.
The new update will include a brand new tenth difficulty level called “Super Helldive”, promising to bring even more chaos and challenge to players brave enough to drop in. The Escalation of Freedom Major Update will introduce bigger enemy outposts, appearing in both Terminid and Automaton missions. New mission types will also be coming inthe update, with objectives such as “larva retrieval” in which Helldivers must protect and escort a baby bug. The new outposts and mission objectives will both feature new opportunities for players to retrieve Super Samples, and much of the content is confirmed to be available on other difficulties below 10.
A number of new enemies will also be added to the game in the update. On the Terminid front, the Impaler from the original Helldivers will be making a return, as well as two new enemies: the fog-covered Spore Charger and the enemy-summoning Terminid Alpha Commander. The Automaton forces will see the addition of Rocket Tanks to their ranks, as well as other new enemy types that are yet to be announced. New environments and environmental hazards are also coming in the Escalation of Freedom expansion, including new “swamp” areas so overcast that it darkens the player’s vision. Arrowhead also confirmed a new fix for “grief kicking”, and now players who are kicked from a match will enter a new one as the host, with all of the same loot the team had acquired in their previous session. Arrowhead also released an announcement trailer for the Escalation of Freedom update, which can be watched below: