Two Days After Helldivers 2 Players ‘Eradicated’ the Automatons, the Bots Are Back With a Massive Invasion Fleet

Helldivers 2’s period of relative stability lasted just two days, with developer Arrowhead unleashing the full might of the Automatons upon Super Earth forces.

After some players had hoped for the addition of a third enemy faction to the explosive third-person PS5 and PC co-op shooter, Arrowhead has now released a new Major Order calling on the Helldivers 2 community to hold back the latest Automaton invasion fleet.

On April 7, Helldivers 2 players were told they had completed their mission to completely eradicate the Automaton threat. “You did it, Helldivers,” read an in-game statement. “Operation Swift Disassembly was a success! With the bots eradicated and bugs contained, the galaxy is free once more.”

But this proved to be short-lived, as today, April 9, following the release of patch 01.000.202: “Somehow, the Automatons returned.” “As suspected all along, the previous Bot force was merely a vanguard,” reads a fresh statement. “A massive fleet has now begun an assault of Cyberstan and the surrounding planets. Helldivers, hold back this unprovoked invasion. The fight continues!”

The in-game galaxy map now shows the Valdis Sector under complete Automaton control, with a number of new planets in the Lacaille and Hydra Sectors available to play. The Helldivers 2 community now has just three days to succeed in the defence of at least five planets. What happens if the community fails is unknown, but the Hydra Sector is just three sectors away from the Sol System, home of Super Earth.

This is the latest twist in Helldivers 2’s ongoing meta narrative, a fascinating push and pull to liberate planets from alien control, all driven by Arrowhead’s Game Master, Joel. But this move was perhaps expected by most players. No-one truly believed Arrowhead would simply pull the Automatons as one of Helldivers 2’s two enemy factions, never to return. The question was how soon the bots would make their comeback, and the answer was: very soon!

If you’re looking for more on Helldivers 2, check out IGN’s feature on the Let Me Solo Her of Helldivers 2, a player who has answered over 100 SOS Beacons as part of a mission to help others.

Helldivers 2 has become one of the surprise hits of 2024 since launching in February, topping the charts on Steam and reportedly selling around three million copies. According to at least one analyst, it’s still growing. Check out IGN’s Helldivers 2 review to find out why it’s going down so well.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].