Helldivers 2’s current Major Order to successfully defend 10 planets across Terminid and Automaton space has put Hellmire in the firing line once again, and it looks like players would really rather not have to deal with it.
For the uninitiated, Arrowhead’s explosive third-person co-op shooter tasks the Helldivers 2 community with completing various challenges as part of the ongoing Galactic War, a meta narrative driven by Game Master Joel.
Amid this latest Major Order, which looks increasingly likely to fail, players are faced with dropping onto perhaps the most-hated planet in the game right now: the appropriately named Hellmire.
Hellmire suffers from a near-constant cycle of fires, which cause players a number of problems, not least because fire damage is currently doing an extreme amount of damage to friend and foe alike. Arrowhead has admitted fire damage is "ridiculous" and confirmed a complete overhaul is in the works, but for now, Hellmire is lethal just to be on, let alone deal with the Terminids, too.
Firestorm is here on hellmire #Helldivers2
— Helldivers Alerts (@HelldiversAlert) March 14, 2024
?TheQuixotic6 pic.twitter.com/vLeGaoSeGG
The hate for Hellmire has become so extreme that some players are even suggesting it makes no in-universe sense for either the Terminds or the forces of Super Earth to want to claim the planet, given the rampant fire tornados. Redditor Elgescher adds that players may have Hellmire fatigue, given this is the latest in a string of liberations on the planet. “I'm done with this planet,” they said, “can't we just blow it up already?”
Helldivers 2 displays active player numbers on a per planet basis, and it’s true that Hellmire has one of the lower player counts, but it’s not alone in that. It seems the more easy-going Estanu is currently attracting more players than any other planet.
Why bot defenses keep failing#HELLDIVERS2
— Helldivers Alerts (@HelldiversAlert) April 23, 2024
©Dotortoiseshop pic.twitter.com/h58pjERyfQ
The issue around Hellmire taps into an emerging push and pull between Helldivers 2’s Galactic War-focused hardcore community, and casual players who like to play on planets and against enemies they enjoy and little else. Arrowhead itself has said it can only do so much to help the core community complete Major Orders that require a coordinated effort. Sometimes, even if Joel offers a helping hand, the community will fail.
And it looks like that’s going to happen again with this latest Major Order, although, ultimately, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Yes, those medals will be lost, but lost planets will become playable again as part of a future Major Order. And let’s remember, the Major Order that proceeded this defense mission was an absolute blast.
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 wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
