Helldivers 2 community devastated after failing first Major Order since launch

Ethan Dean
Man screaming in Helldivers 2

Helldivers 2 players are in shambles as they log on to news that they’ve failed their first Major Order.

Helldivers 2 Personal and Major Orders are a fantastic way to keep players engaged in the battle for the galaxy. They’re pretty standard fair for live-service titles but the player-driven meta-narrative that has sprung up among Helldivers 2 makes them feel like more than that.

The Personal Orders are pretty minor challenges like eliminating a certain number of a particular enemy type or getting a set amount of kills with a specific Stratagem. The Major Orders are days-long affairs that involve liberating entire planets or systems from enemy control.

In the roughly three weeks since launch, Helldivers 2 players have consistently risen to the challenge of Major Orders, until today that is. Reddit user u/Cheedows broke the news to players who may not have seen that the most recent effort against the Automatons was a failure. A day of mourning among Super Earth Citizens has begun.

A screenshot shared by the player detailed how the loss to the Automatons on the western front had impacted the galactic war. A communication from the Federation of Super Earth explained the situation.

“Despite the valorous efforts of the Helldivers, Automaton Marauders have invaded Super Earth territory. Patriotic citizens mourn as their sufficiently sized homes burn to the ground,” the message read. Players have not taken the news well with one proclaiming the devastating loss to be “the Fall of Reach all over again”.

Some players are suggesting drastic measures to gain back the ground Super Earth lost. “I recommend a mandatory draft for all people who don’t own the game,” one patriotic Helldiver suggested. “Purchase must be made within 30 days or face punishment for treason.”

Other Helldivers are looking in the face of this failure with renewed vigor, ready to take the fight to the enemy. “Fear not. Those sufficiently-sized homes will be rebuilt with the parts from dead Automatons,” one said.

An image of Helldivers 2 gameplay.
Gear up Helldivers, it’s time to kill bugs again.

Using the parts of dead Automatons for urban renewal will have to wait as a new Major Order has been announced. Helldivers have been directed to stamp out a Terminid surge on the planet of Veld in the Orion Sector.

The loss to the Automatons seems to have lit a fire in some Helldivers because, at the time of writing, the planet is more than 67% liberated. We’ll be doing our part.

About The Author

Ethan Dean is a Staff Writer on the Australian Dexerto team. He graduated from RMIT with a Bachelors Degree in Journalism and has been freelance writing in the gaming space ever since. His favorite game is the third-person, open world flavor of the month and when he doesn't have a controller in his hands, there's a paintbrush in them. He's a self-described Warhammer nerd and a casual DnD player too. You can contact Ethan at ethan.dean@dexerto.com