The latest major order in Helldivers 2 has introduced a mission to tackle the Terminid supercolony of Meridia, utilizing the same dark fluid that previously caused chaos among scientists. However, players are finding these bespoke dark fluid missions to be extraordinarily difficult—beyond the usual "git gud" challenges, suggesting something has gone awry.
A Grim Situation on Meridia
The mission structure is straightforward on paper: four players drop into Meridia, deploy a dark fluid backpack (which also functions as a jetpack), and rush to a drill site. After calling in a drill, the team must defend it until extraction. However, the reality is far more brutal. Terminids, the main adversaries, seem to have no restrictions on where they can spawn, leading to chaotic and overwhelming scenarios.
A critical issue lies in the bug breaches. These points, from which Terminids flood out, appear randomly and often in places that make defense almost impossible. One player captured a screenshot showing a breach unreasonably close to the drill site, highlighting the difficulty.
Sky-High Problems
Adding to the chaos, Shriekers—flying bugs—are spawning in excessive numbers, even on the game's lowest difficulty, "Trivial." Players are finding it nearly impossible to manage the overwhelming swarms. One player's experience included getting dive-bombed by a massive cloud of Shriekers, rendering the mission unplayable.
Community sentiment mirrors these frustrations. On the Helldivers 2 subreddit, players have expressed their discontent. One diver noted, "You can't tell people to 'just lower their difficulties' if the level 1 missions spawn 100 Shriekers on their head. That's just crappy advice." Another veteran player with over 350 hours in the game pointed out that the environment seemed designed for three choke points, but the bug breaches spawn right on the tectonic drill, making defense impossible against hive guards, chargers, and titans that can one-shot the drill.
Developer Response
Fortunately, the developers have acknowledged these issues. Community manager Baskinator assured players that a hotfix is on the way. "Thank you to everyone that made us aware of the spawning bug in the current Major Order. A hotfix is currently being worked on for that issue and will be deployed as soon as possible. We'll let you know as soon as it's available."
A Rocky Road Ahead
This issue compounds an already tough period for Helldivers 2. The game has been navigating community drama on PSN and a lukewarm reception to its latest Warbond. Despite the efforts of former CEO Johan Pilestedt to engage with the community and adjust game balance, the studio is struggling to regain the goodwill it initially garnered. The problematic major order in Meridia only adds to their challenges.
Helldivers 2 needs a win, and while the upcoming hotfix might address the spawning issues, the studio will have to work hard to restore player confidence and enthusiasm.
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